Sport

Deck the halls with footballs!

Perhaps the appearance of pepernoten and chocolate letters on the supermarket shelves in August was you first clue or those holiday travel plans have been a constant reminder that the holiday season is nearly upon us. Along with the travelling, celebrating and eating there may be some gift giving you need to consider. Perhaps your list includes a sports enthusiast or two so here are a few ideas of what to get that special sporting someone this holiday season.

Football is of course the most important sport in the Netherlands and many a youngster have received a jersey from their favorite club as a holiday gift. This may be the perfect gift for someone on your list whether here or back at home during the holidays. Even if you don’t barrack for your local club, a football shirt under the Christmas tree is always a winner. Check out the fan shop of your local club usually to found in the stadium itself. Always check ahead on the club website to be sure of the location and the opening hours. Many of the clubs have webshops as well but if you can make the trip, there’s probably a stocking stuffer or two on offer you might overlook if you do your shopping online. That being said, if you want to see a broad selection or shop the collection of the Dutch National Team then Voetbalshop.nl is the place to go especially if you need to pick up merchandise from more than one team. With the World Cup playing out this holiday season, an Oranje gift might just be the way to go. www.voetbalshop.nl

Perhaps the “beautiful game” is not your thing or you’re just looking for something different for that special sports someone. Among other sports, the Netherlands are pretty darn good at baseball or honkbal as it called here. The Dutch National Baseball Team has some sweet kit bearing the “Kingdom of the Netherlands” moniker. You could make your sports nut feel like a king with their own Kingdom honkbal shirt. The Dutch baseball federation features a shop on their website with a selection of shirts as well as baseball caps. You can score you gear at www.kluppsportswear.nl/majr/ kingdom/ If you want a gift that is more sport agnostic but bearing the full-on Oranje feeling, look for official Olympic Team gear at the webshop of Team NL. While the next Summer Games won’t be held until 2024 in Paris, the orange apparel of the Dutch Olympic team is an evergreen that any sports fan will truly appreciate. The Team NL Miffy doll is just about the most perfect souvenir gift item we’ve seen in a long while! www.teamnl.nl/shop

Do you have a tennis buff on your shopping list this holiday season? Of course, you pick them up a can of balls but if you really want to give a gift that will hit the sweet spot, why not send them to the ABN Amro Open? This annual tennis tournament, held in Rotterdam’s Ahoy, is the place to be for tennis fans as the world’s best converge on the harbor city for the largest indoor tennis competition in the world. The 2023 version will take place from 11 to 19 February and this year’s 50th anniversary edition will feature a women’s wheelchair tennis tourney to compliment the men’s competition. More information and tickets are available at www.abnamro-open.nl/en

Golfers are easy to shop for given the huge selection of clothing and accessories. Here in the Netherlands, one of the best golf shops is run by the same folks from the Jumbo supermarkets. Jumbo Golf has several bricks and mortar locations throughout the country as well an extensive webshop. One of the items that got our attention was a bag of American Lake Balls – 50 balls salvaged from the water traps of the USA. Who knew that Americans were so lousy at golf that salvaged golf balls would be an export item? In any case, you can find all kinds of gift ideas for your special duffer at www.jumbosports.com

Should your shopping list include a cyclist, you are certainly in luck in this country of bike enthusiasts. One of our favorite finds are the Santa and Ugly Christmas Sweater cycling jackets from Grupetto. This holiday-themed gear and a host of other original designs are available at www.grupettocycling.cc If you are looking for sports apparel with a distinctive Dutch touch, several brands jump out. The venerable Cruyff name adorns an extensive line of clothing and footwear. You can deck the halls with an homage to the Netherland’s most legendary footballer by visiting www.cruyff.com While Johan himself wore Puma, many of his contemporaries laced up Quick boots. The Dutch brand, founded in 1905 lives on in the Q1905 line of trainers and you can outfit your favorite sneakerhead at www. Q1905.com Sustainability is a popular theme these days and it is also taking hold in our holiday shopping. Ex-hockey international Kim Lammers has taken this to heart, integrating sustainability and circular design into her own brand of sportswear and field hockey accessories. www.circulr.eu

Still stumped for ideas? If you want to combine sporty with everyday use in a product that combines Dutch design and sustainability, you can’t go wrong by picking up a Dopper for everyone on your shopping list. These Dutch water bottles have become a common sight in schools, offices and gyms. They have all sorts, sizes and colors and you are far better getting your hydration out of one these than a single use plastic bottle. www.shop.dopper.com is the place to go.

Hopefully you’ve gotten a bit of inspiration to gift your own sports fans or weekend warriors this holiday season. We’d like to think that St. Nicolas, Santa Claus or whomever is making joy this holiday season will kindle more sports passion and participation for the new year… Happy Holidays!

Written by John Mahnen