Gifts for sports parents, and how to get the size right
The parent on the sideline is easy to shop for and hard to size. Five pieces from the Represent aisle, what each is made of, and how to get the size right for someone who is not in the room.
On this page
A sports parent spends a lot of the season standing still in the cold, watching. A warm crewneck or hoodie that names their sport is an easy gift to get right, apart from the size. Here are five of ours, what each one is made of and which sizes it comes in, followed by four ways to get the size right without asking the person it is for.
Five to choose from
Baseball Dad Crewneck Sweatshirt
The Baseball Dad crewneck has an embroidered design on the chest, on a 50/50 cotton-poly fabric its page calls medium-heavy, at 8 oz. It is tubular knit, so there are no side seams, and it has a ribbed collar. It comes in seven colours, from maroon to forest green, in sizes S to 4XL.
Soccer Mom Hoodie
The Soccer Mom hoodie has white graphics: "Soccer" in script over a bold "MOM", with a soccer ball for the O, on the front, and a vertical graphic down the back. It is 50/50 cotton-poly at 8 oz per square yard (about 270 g/m²), tubular knit, with a kangaroo pocket and a double-lined hood with a drawcord in the same colour. It comes in six colours, in sizes S to 5XL.
Volleyball Mom T-Shirt
The Volleyball Mom tee has a subtle, hand-drawn volleyball icon and "volleyball mom" in script across the chest. It is 100% ring-spun cotton, 6.1 oz, garment-dyed for a soft, lived-in colour, and pre-shrunk, with a relaxed fit. It comes in eight colours, in sizes S to 3XL, though not every colour comes in every size.
Basketball Dad T-Shirt
The Basketball Dad tee is made the same way: 100% ring-spun cotton, 6.1 oz, garment-dyed and pre-shrunk, with a relaxed fit. The artwork sits in the centre of the chest, with a basketball in place of the O and a net. It comes in eight colours, in sizes S to 3XL, though not every colour comes in every size.
Baseball Is My Favorite Season Sweatshirt
The Baseball Is My Favorite Season sweatshirt is a crewneck with the words embroidered on the chest, in the same 8 oz, 50/50 cotton-poly blend as the Baseball Dad crewneck. Its page describes the fit as slightly oversized. It comes in four colours, including light pink and sport grey, in sizes S to 3XL, though 3XL is sand only and light pink stops at XL.
Hoodie, crewneck or tee
Think about when they will wear it. Spring baseball and autumn soccer mean cold mornings on the sideline, which is what the hoodie and the two crewnecks are for. The hoodie has the hood and the kangaroo pocket; the crewnecks have a ribbed collar and an embroidered design, which their pages describe as subtle. The tees suit indoor seasons and warm days, and the Volleyball Mom tee's page makes a point of how easily it layers under a jacket.
If their sport is not one of these four, the Represent aisle also has pieces for football fans, badminton players and soccer goalkeepers.
Getting the size right
The most reliable way to size someone who is not in the room is to measure clothes they already wear. In order of how much we trust them:
- Measure a top they like. Lay it flat and measure straight across the chest, 1 in (2.5 cm) below the armpit seams, then from the highest point of the shoulder straight down to the hem. Our size guide explains how, and lists exactly which sizes each piece comes in. Then send us those two figures, as in the next step.
- Ask us before you order. We have not published chest and length figures, because nobody has laid every garment flat and measured it yet, and we will not copy a generic chart. Tell us the product, the sizes you are choosing between, and the chest and length you measured on their top.
- Read the label on the hoodie they wear most. It is a starting point, not a certainty, since sizes are not the same from one brand to the next.
- Ask someone who lives with them.
Between two sizes? Our size guide says the hoodies and crewnecks in Represent run relaxed, and to size up one for a loose look. The Favorite Season sweatshirt is already described as slightly oversized, so their usual size is the safer pick there. The tees are pre-shrunk and their pages describe a relaxed fit, but we have not measured them, so if they are between sizes, ask us.
Size first, then colour
The largest sizes come in fewer colours, and some colours skip other sizes too. On the Baseball Dad crewneck, 4XL is black only. On the Soccer Mom hoodie, 4XL and 5XL come in navy, sport grey and black. On the Favorite Season sweatshirt, 3XL is sand only and light pink stops at XL. On the Volleyball Mom tee, 3XL comes in white or ivory, and blossom comes in XL and 2XL only. On the Basketball Dad tee, 3XL comes in white, orchid or ivory. If you need a big size, pick it first and choose from the colours that are left.
If it does not fit
Tell them to try it on with the tags still on, and not to wash it until they know it fits. Our returns policy takes back clothing that is unused, unworn and unwashed, with the tags on and in its original packaging, within 30 days of delivery. For an exchange to a different size, you pay to send it back and we pay to send the replacement out. To start one, message us from the contact page with the order number; there is no account needed.
Timing
Birthdays, the first game of the season and the end-of-season party do not move. The shipping page sets out dispatch and delivery times and where we ship to. Leave a margin on top of them. For a gift meant for the first game of a season, order when the fixture list comes out, not the week before.
Looking after it
The care line on each of the five pages says to machine wash cold, at no more than 30°C (86°F). The tees and crewnecks tumble dry on low; the hoodie's page says medium. None of them should be dry-cleaned. That is worth passing on with the gift.
There are more on the gifts page and in the Represent aisle.
About this guide. We sell the products named here, and we have tried to say plainly where they are not the right choice. Product details come from each product’s own page.
