Well, that does it for minicamp! And, just like that, training camp for the Green Bay Packers is fast approaching! Matter of fact, just this past week, Matt LaFleur announced that the first training camp practice takes place on Wednesday, July 29th. Veteran players will report just the day before while normally rookies and injured players will arrive a bit beforehand.
We’ve just about made it! We are so close! So, let’s take a look at what, we as fans, should look for during this year’s training camp.
Packers Training Camp
First of all, training camp practices, unless weather gets in the way, is normally open to fans. These open practices will take place at Ray Nitschke Field across from Lambeau Field. It really is a good time. Prior to practice, the players will ride to practice on children’s bikes per tradition. This is always a fun time for families and children who get to participate. Just before players go in for practice, some players are willing to sign autographs to some lucky fans.
At training camp practices, food and drinks are sold at some vendors outside of the practice facility. There are also some fun activities for children including face painting.
During the practice, it is really tough to catch all aspects of it. There is just so much to see! It really is impossible to see all of it. So, it’s normally a good idea to decide ahead of time what you are going to want to look for. Interested in what the offensive line is going to like: focus on that position group. Maybe you are curious about the cornerbacks: focus on those guys. It really does help make the experience more digestible and not a whirlwind. This is even better if you get to attend practice several times.
Some advice, the first week or so of training camp is not in pads. So, if you want to be able to see some hard hits, then you might want to wait for a later practice.
Packers Family Night
Of course, another fun activity during training camp is the annual Packers Family Night! This is truly a fantastic experience for the whole family. It’s a great starter event for young children who may not be ready for an actual game. Family Night is another training camp practice that takes place at Lambeau Field. It imitates a game a bit but in a more family-oriented way.
It’s really cool to get to see some children get the opportunity to participate with the players on the field like in a field goal kicking competition or even a punt-catching competition.
At one of the best parts is the fireworks at the end of the night! Absolutely beautiful and such a cool opportunity!
Family Night this year is scheduled for Friday, August 7th.
Other Activities:
Finally, a couple of other activities of note during training camp:
The Packers Shareholder’s meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 27th. This is great opportunity to learn about the state of the franchise if you are an owner of the team.
On July 25th, the Packers will host their annual 5K Run/Walk that literally has you run around the rubber track of Lambeau Field. The night before is the kids 1K run. Through the event, the Packers are raising money to help support Volunteer Center of Brown County, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Preble High School Boys & Girls Cross Country Team.
As you can see, training camp is a super fun opportunity for fans of the Green Bay Packers and there are plenty of things to do and to watch.
If you haven’t been to a Packers Training Camp, then you should definitely do it!
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Damon is a diehard, fully-immersed cheesehead who currently lives in southern Missouri. He teaches at a local high school and has a family YouTube channel about all things Packers. You can follow him on twitter at @packersfamily and on YouTube at The Packers Family.
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