I can hardly believe that we are rolling into FOOTBALL SEASON!! The guys in my house get pretty excited, dinner talk turns to football, Sundays are spent watching football and evenings hanging with neighborhood kids have turned from wiffle ball games to touch football games!
We are lucky enough to live just outside Indianapolis, so heading to a Colts game is a pretty common thing, walking in Target and seeing a Colts player is not out of the norm or even having a retired Colts player run the scoreboard at one of my kid’s basketball games is typical. What is not typical is getting to see all these players up close and personal.
Get up close and personal with your favorite NFL player
Every July the NFL teams start their training camps. Many of these days the camps are open to the public. It’s a fabulous opportunity to pack up the family, head to training camp and stand on the sidelines of the practice. You can be close enough to hear the players talking to one other and the helmets smacking!
Some teams have a “Family Day” or “Kids Day”. This is a day will vary from team to team, but typically it is set up with extra entertainment, special offers, autograph sessions and even the cheerleaders hanging out on this day only. Most of the teams offer this as a free event for their fans!
Below is a listing of the NFL 2014 training Camp dates as well as the link to more information regarding each team’s “Family” or “Kids” Days (if one is available).
| Team | Practice Famility | Location | Start Date | Family Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | Under Armor Performance Center | Owings Mills, MD | July 23 | NFL training camp 2014 July 28 |
| Buffalo Bills | St. John Fisher College | Pittsford, NY | July 18 | Bills Experience area open every day |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Paul Brown Stadium | Cincinnati, OH | July 23 | August 9 |
| Cleveland Browns | Cleveland Browns Training Facility | Berea, OH | July 25 | July 26 |
| Denver Broncos | Paul D. Bowlen Memorial Broncos Center | Dove Valley, CO | July 23 | August 2 |
| Houston Texans | Methodist Training Center | Houston, TX | July 25 | August 5 |
| Indianapolis Colts | Anderson University | Anderson, IN | July 23 | July 26 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Florida Blue Health & Wellness Practice Fields | Jacksonville, FL | July 25 | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Missouri Western State University | St. Joseph, MO | July 23 | July 26 |
| Miami Dolphins | Miami Dolphins Training Facility | Davie,FL | July 24 | |
| New England Patriots | Gillette Stadium | Foxboro, MA | July 23 | |
| New York Jets | SUNY Cortland | Cortland, NY | July 23 | August 2 |
| Oakland Raiders | Napa Valley Marriott | Napa, CA | July 24 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Saint Vincent College | Latrobe, Pa. | July 25 | |
| San Diego Chargers | Chargers Park | San Diego, CA | July 23 | August 2 |
| Tennesse Titans | Baptist Sports Park | Nashville, TN | July 25 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | University of Phoenix Stadium | Glendale, Ariz. | July 25 | August 2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta Falcons Training Facility | Flowery Branch, Ga. | July 24 | |
| Carolina Panthers | Wofford College | Spartanburg, S.C. | July 24 | July 25 |
| Chicago Bears | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais, Ill. | July 24 | August 6 |
| Dallas Cowboys | River Ridge Playing Fields | Oxnard, Calif. | July 22 | |
| Detroit Lions | Detroit Lions Training Facility | Allen Park, Mich. | July 27 | |
| Green Bay Packers | St. Norbert College | Green Bay, Wis. | July 25 | August 2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | Minnesota State University | Mankato, Minn. | July 24 | August 2 |
| New Orleans Saints | The Greenbrier | White Silver Springs, WV. | July 24 | |
| New York Giants | Timex Performance Center | East Rutherford, N.J. | July 22 | |
| Philadelphia Eagles | NocaCare Complex | Philadelphia, Pa. | July 25 | |
| St. Louis Rams | Russell Athletic Training Center | Earth City, Mo. | July 24 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | Marie P. DeBartolo Sports Center | Santa Clara, Calif. | July 23 | |
| Seattle Seahawks | Virginia Mason Athletic Center | Renton, Wash. | July 24 | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | One Buccaneer Place | Tampa, Fla. | July 25 | |
| Washington Redskins | Bon Secours Training Center | Richmond, Va. | July 23 | August 2 |
If your kids love football, NFL Training Camps are an inexpensive and fun way to let your family see the players up close, grab a few autographs and play some family-friendly activities. Pack your kids up, grab your camera and head to an NFL practice for a great day of family fun!
