25 Days of Christmas

As we near the end of 2012 and are in the midst of the Christmas holiday season, we want to help you with your shopping needs. We will be giving you our favorite merchandise picks, in the 25 Days of Christmas.

What qualifies as a good pick? For us, vintage is always a good option. We will choose from apparel, trading cards, or memorabilia. We play no favortism to sport, although there is more available for basketball and soccer, but we will give equal opportunity to the other team sports as well.

Check in with us daily to see our pick. And as always, if you have a unique or rare item that fits our needs, we'd love to feature it. Send us a note.

Happy shopping everyone!

Can We Please Have Some Women's Olympic Memorabilia

Team USA women's basketball, soccer and water polo brought home gold medals in the 2012 London Olympics. The volleyball team won silver against Brazil. This years Olympic games were both exciting and historical. The women's basketball team won their 5th consecutive gold medal. The US won 46 gold medals with US women being responsible for 29 of them. The soccer match between  Team USA and Japan was witnessed by over 80,000 in the stadium.

So now it's over and with beaming pride I do as I always do after big women's sporting events, I look for the merchandise. I'd been previously looking for basketball jerseys and agreed with many in the twittersphere about the inability to purchase a women's jersey. Are you kidding me? The drive for five gold medals, and there are none to be found? At least the USWNT has Team USA World Cup Jerseys.

I could find no commemorative gear for water polo or volleyball. Where is it? Is it buried on page 17 of the google search? Do most companies think we (female sports fans) aren't interested in memorabilia? What is offered is a Nike U.S. Women's Soccer 2012 Olympics Victory T-Shirt and Olympic Team T-Shirts which features the women's basketball 2012 foundation tee in red.

We appreciate the effort and sacrifice that the athletes make in order to participate and represent our country. Most definitely it's a labor of love. But just so you know, many more are rooting and celebrating your accomplishments, we offer this Olympic Celebration design.

The design features the five circles mimicking the Olympic rings.

top circles represent the three gold medal winning women's sports, 

water polo, soccer and basketball. The bottom circles represent the 

American flag and the silver medal volleyball squad. The year is included

and the word "women". This gives it a distinctive feel that it is particularly

designed for the women's Olympic successes. Click the Buy Now button to purchase this item.

Sizes

Small Medium Large XLarge

We try our best to offer what mainstream companies miss out on and that is women's specific products dedicated to the "fan" of the women's game.

Alabama...The 2012 NCAA Softball Champs!

For the last six years the conversation has been, "when will the east coast break out and win the NCAA National Championship in softball?" With the exception of the 2005 Michigan Wolverines, the National Champ has come from the west. The SEC has had a team competing for the coveted title four of the last five tries, only to lose. I guess you could say the sixth times the charm.

The 2012 WCWS series between Alabama and Oklahoma was both thrilling and entertaining and game three proved to have excitement and controversy, with the weather having a hand in the ultimate outcome. Check out the post game articles from the NCAA and the BIG 12 conference.

Congratulations go out to the University of Alabama for winning their first National Championship in women's softball! They add to an impressive count of 2012 Alabama National Champions in women's golf, and gymnastics and men's football. Grab your Alabama Crimson Tide 2012 Softball National Champions gear complete with a large selection of t-shirts, caps, pennants and more.

40-0! And National Champs!

Has it sunk in? 40 wins, no losses. Truly "running the table" in women's division I basketball. Sure, there have been a few 39-0 marks, what's one more game. Either way you look at it having an undefeated season AND capping it off with a National Championship is an accomplishment that warrants praise. Will it be a record broken? Maybe or maybe not. It will be remembered and it will be talked about for years to come. It will most certainly be challenged by the same team in it's 2012-13 basketball campaign. Is a 40-0 repeat possible!

Celebrate the present with an onslaught of Baylor Bears -2012 NCAA Women's Basketball National Champions Gear Choose from an array of t-shirts, caps, banners and signs. You're sure to find something.

Your team may have competed and lost, that's okay. Just getting to the Final Four is an accomplishment in itself. This years participants all had unfinished business led by the #1 seed Baylor Lady Bears. Grab their Final Four tee here. Don't forget about Notre Dame, Stanford and UCONN.

Even though the 2012 National Championship is a memory, there is still time to collect the official NCAA 2012 Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four Group T-Shirt or NCAA 2012 Women's Basketball Tournament Final Four Group Long Sleeve T-Shirt Just a fan of the games? The 2012 Women's Final Four Logo T-Shirt is still available! If you missed out on a piece of last year's history, the 2011 Final Four Logo Pin and lanyard as well as the 2010 Final Four Cap are still available and on sale!

Times ticking,... Savor this years championship, because in about six months the hype will begin again and the road to a repeat will be in full effect.

Congratulations Baylor!

Hoop Central At A Quick Glance

Just a note to tell you about the new page added to the womensgame site.  It lists the top conference tournaments in schedule form. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East, SEC and Pac 12 (which will be added later) are all listed on one page for a quick glance. Stay updated as the teams move through their brackets. The page will stay active throughout conference tournament play.

This is just the first step to the madness we call March! Conference tournaments start March 1st!

The Last Merchandise Site You'll Ever Need!

It is my goal to take the search work out of finding women's licensed team sports apparel and memorabilia. It is a labor of love and a task I am willing to accept wholeheartedly! What comes next in this chapter is a culmination of my desire to help all fans of women's team sports never have to wonder,..."where can I find merchandise of ______? You fill in the blank.

This dream started for me in 1994,....
Louisiana Tech vs.North Carolina for the NCAA women's basketball national championship. With time winding down in regulation, Carolina's Charlotte Smith hits a jumper at the buzzer to give the Tarheels the win.

Living in Georgia at the time, I went out the next day, excited by the prospect of scoring a commemorative championship tee. I searched Champs, Sports Authority, Finish Line and a couple lesser known sporting goods retailers around my area. I got nothing, unless you count the blank stares when I asked if they were going to be getting a shipment of the championship tee.

We've come a long way. Manufacturers now recognize that women's sports memorabilia items and replica jerseys are gaining new fans. The internet can put products in your hand overnight, so it is my pleasure to simplify this situation just a little bit more.

With a mix of league shops, specialty women's sports apparel stores, accessories, throwbacks, league championship apparel and collegiate championship apparel, the aim is to put all team sports and sports stores under one roof. Need to score the Maryland field hockey championship tee? It's listed here. How about the Minnesota Lynx Championship apparel. It's here too! Looking for soccer throwback jerseys or memorabilia from defunct women's sports leagues and teams? We try our best to locate those items as well!

What ties us (the women's sports community) all together is our continued support for the next generation. We are ambassadors for the future as well as historians of the past. Ultimately "WE" are our biggest fans. A group as diverse as our sports who share a passion for success.

Please check out the site and share it with other women's sports fans. Share it on facebook, tweet about it, forward to your friends. Let's get the word out! Help me make the site the best it can be! Feedback is always encouraged. I love hearing comments and suggestions.

Know of a shop which caters to women's licensed sports apparel or accessories? Submit their name and website for inclusion on the "shops" page.

This is a work in progress, continually morphing to be better able to serve you, the fans. Thanks so much for your support! Now go check out the site!  www.womensgame.net




 

Stanford Cardinal,...National Champs!

The third time really is the charm as the Stanford Cardinal got the one win that has escaped them the previous two years, the National Championship in women's soccer. Read more about the win here.

Celebrate the Cardinal win with the officially licensed championship tee.

The Stanford soccer bracelet makes a great stocking stuffer for your Cardinal fan. Get yours today, limited quantities.

Black Friday..and Beyond

As we begin this holiday shopping season with "Black Friday" leading into "Cyber Monday" and beyond...be sure and remember those on your list who would enjoy jerseys, visors, sweatshirts and tees. Here is a short list of a few items to get you started. Choose from vintage WNBA teams and championship items to current women's professional league champions (Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Bandits). Relieve the 2011 NCAA softball championship or sport past championship apparel. There is something for everyone as well as a price! Take a look!

UT Hall Of Famer, Cat Osterman! Congratulations!

On November 18, 2011, Cat Osterman was inducted into the Longhorn Hall Of Honor. A determined and fierce player her years at the University of Texas prepared her for the rigors of life as a professional softball player for the USSSA Pride of the NPF and her career overseas in Japan. Read more about her accomplishments here. Celebrate Cat's era at the University of Texas with authentic Texas Longhorn softball gear.

Congratulations! Maryland Field Hockey

Congratulations to the Maryland Terrapins field hockey team repeats and wins their eighth NCAA field hockey championship, their second in a row, over the University of North Carolina, 3-2 in overtime. Read the recap here.

Be sure and purchase officially licensed championship gear in both short sleeve or long sleeve t-shirts.

Check out other Maryland field hockey apparel. 

The Final Four,...Will Solo Continue?

The final four couples took to the dance floor Monday night in ABC's Dancing With The Stars, by most accounts, Hope Solo's performance was not enough to catapult she and her partner to the top. She had this comment to make, "When the odds are against me, I find a way to defy them." 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/dancing-stars-week-9-semifinals-recap-rob-rises-top-pack-nurses-ankle-injury-article-1.977632#ixzz1dmhHK4Eg

Tonight she will find out her fate, dance another week or dance off gracefully!...
Nevertheless, we salute Hope for what she's best at,....soccer!
Good Luck! 

2011-2012 NCAA Women's Basketball Season Underway

By now your favorite women's college basketball team should be underway in it's 2011-2012 season. There are high expectations for many to arrive in Denver in early April. Many of the usual suspects are expected to perform well. See the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll top 25 ranking here.

The top team in the land is the Baylor Bears, lead by their dynamic center, Brittany Griner. Griner begins her junior season in Waco. Will this be the year she finally gets to cut down the nets? For us, the fans, mark your calendar for a few crucial dates.

• November 21st Stanford at UCONN
• November 27th Baylor at Tennessee
• December 6th UCONN vs. Texas A&M
• December 18th Baylor vs. UCONN
• January 7th Notre Dame vs. UCONN
• January 23rd Notre Dame vs. Tennessee
• February 27th Notre Dame at UCONN 

All games will be televised so check your local listings. There are many more interesting match-ups but these dates certainly come with great anticipation. Dawn your favorite fan gear and settle in for an exciting 2011-2012 season.

NPF Back To School Tour Continues

USSSA Pride's, Danielle Lawrie part of Team NPF

The NPF has it's college Back To School Tour in full effect. The tour began back on September 30th against the University of Memphis softball team. There is a commemorative "Back To School" long sleeve, white tee which has the caption "Schooled" on it, which is fitting since the NPF All-Stars are undefeated through over half of it's 20 opponents. Team NPF will resume play on October 22nd versus the University of Washington. Not only will it be a reunion for two of it's all-stars, Danielle Lawrie and Ashley Charters, but the game will be played at Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners.

Seven games remain on the Back To School Tour, but before the pro series wraps up for 2011, be sure to purchase officially licensed gear. Several tees and hoodies are available and many are currently on sale! Check the NPF store for selections.

"The Line-up"...Artwork To Benefit Pro Fastpitch

"The Line-up"

The second original piece of artwork is now available for purchase. A great gift for the softball fan in your life.

This charcoal pencil drawing depicts four players standing together in a line-up before the game. Click the link for purchase options to fit every budget. Prices start as little as $2.00. You can find other print options including post cards, framed art and posters.

Don't forget a portion of the purchase price goes towards the NPF's Twenty for 2020 campaign.

2011 Western Conference Championship Apparel

Congratulations to the 2011 Western Conference Champs, the Minnesota Lynx! Preview and purchase the gear at the WNBAStore.com.

Western Conference Championship Lockeroom T-shirt and Cap available here!

WNBA Finals begin October 2, 2011. Still time to get the 2011 Playoffs t-shirt. Get it here.

For All The "Little Dreamers"

2011 has proved to be a very good year for following fastpitch softball. I got to see quite a bit of collegiate games including the ACC Softball Championships. And I fulfilled a personal goal to see, in person, a professional NPF game. Of course you can't forget the WCWS which featured eight talented and dynamic teams competing for the highest title in collegiate softball.

Danielle Lawrie on the mound

Natasha Watley on deck

Jessica Mendoza ready to steal second

In July I got a chance to see the USSSA Pride play the Akron Racers at the Wide World of Sports Complex. I was truly a kid in a candy store. It was a bit surreal for me to enter the stadium, wearing my "old school" Akron Racers jersey and visor. I was treated to a good game and fabulous atmosphere. It was everything I hoped for and more.

Seeing those women in college and in the professional league living out a dream made me applaud what the NPF is doing with their Twenty for 2020 campaign. I've always felt like women's professional sports leagues can't and shouldn't always follow their male counterparts in building and sustaining profitable and accepted leagues. We must think outside the box!

"Little Dreamers"

Two original art pieces have been created in honor of the Twenty for 2020 campaign, the NPF and all the people who love and follow women's softball. This charcoal pencil drawing entitled, "Little Dreamers" depicts women softball players huddled at the pitchers mound while a little league softball player stands on second base. It's a playful look at the dreams many young girls have to one day play professionally. Prints of the artwork are being offered for sale with a portion of the proceeds going directly to the NPF's campaign.

Please share the link. It will make a great gift for coaches, teammates, parents, birthdays, end of season give-a-ways or christmas gifts for the softball fans in your life. A second drawing will be available beginning September 26th. Please leave us feedback! We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Where's The Bandits Championship Tee?

The entire purpose for this blog is to support women's athletics through finding licensed apparel. In that quest, having championship tees are an important component to fuel the hunger of those fans who buy jerseys, caps and memorabilia.

I have to say it has been three days since the NPF Championship Series. The Chicago Bandits were victorious over the favored USSSA Pride in a best of three series. I have yet to find a championship tee, commemorative cap or any licensed merchandise congratulating the victors.

Could it be a cost issue?

Was championship apparel sold after the game at the venue?

Maybe they are creating it right now in limited quantities and going to offer it online for purchase?

Being a fan as I am, I would always like to see an option for championship apparel. It is important as a marketing/advertising tool as well as a historical piece of the history of the game and league. If for some reason I have overlooked the championship apparel, I apologize and ask that you let me know where it is to be found. I'd love to pass it on to the other readers.

In the meantime, satisfy your Bandit spirit and shop the official Chicago Bandit online store. You'll find t-shirts, replica jerseys, sweatshirts, visors, memorabilia and more.

Get Your NPF Licensed Merchandise Today

The WCWS is over, the collegiate seniors have been drafted and June 9th marked the start of the 2011 National Pro Fastpitch season, NPF for short. The excitement of the college softball tournament is a perfect lead-in to the NPF season. Although the NPF has been called many names...WPSL, WPF....it's goal has always been the same,to cultivate a successful league for women who want to pursue softball as a profession.

June 11th, ESPN2 will televise the Chicago Bandits taking on the USSSA Pride. The league will showcase four teams, Chicago,USSA Pride (Orlando), NPF Diamonds (Kissimmee) and Akron. Growth of the league and the sport in general is a priority as evidenced by the core players, who chose to fore go playing for the National Team to compete in the NPF. Check out this article in the USA Today.

Be sure and support the league through merchandise. The NPF has an extensive store full of tees, jerseys, caps and "throwbacks" to former teams. You can also purchase gear for individual teams. You can find the links below.

USSSA Pride
Chicago Bandits
NPF Diamonds
Akron Racers

Gotta Love those throwbacks!

The 2011 Softball National Champs, Arizona State!

There has been a lot of speculation on whether or not this was the year the SEC conference would breakthrough and win the National Championship. In NCAA Softball's 30yr history no team east of the Mississippi has every won. Confidence was high as Florida chomped the University of Alabama to reach the title game but the SEC will have to wait at least another year to contend for a championship as the best team in the land PROVED IT! Congratulations to the Arizona State Sun Devils for winning the 2011 Women's College World Series! Celebrate with them! Purchase your officially licensed gear from the NCAA Store.
Choose from several t-shirt designs and the official cap. Shop here. You can also check out the Sparkys Stadium Shop the official store for Arizona State University Athletics. In addition to championship tees, you'll find a championship ball, travel mug, champions banner and champions banner flag. Shop Sparky's.
Other retailer:
Football Fanatics

Not Too Late For WCWS Merchandise

The first pitch of the Women's College World Series was thrown today. As we cheer on our favorite teams, be sure you are wearing proper game day apparel. Not too late to make a quick purchase. The 2011 NCAA Women's Softball College World Series Bound 8 Group Logos Tee has the school logos of the 8 WCWS participants. A great addition to your merchandise collection.
In addition to the WCWS tee you can find the 2011 Softball Conference Champions t-shirts and various softball t-shirts.

Missouri Tigers fans check out this tee. And another here.
Arizona State fans check out Sparky's.
Alabama,...Roll Tide!
Oklahoma fans check here!
Baylor Bears fan gear here! Interested in a cap!
California softball items...
Oklahoma State softball tee
Florida Gators gear

You can always check Softball Outlet for team visors and tees.
Get your gear soon, some venues were out of stock! WCWS is being held June 2-8 and being televised on the ESPN family of networks.