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Football is finally upon us! After a long absence of meaningful football activities, the Colts are one day away from kicking off training camp. With such a young group and many new faces brought in during the draft and free agency, training camp is the perfect time to get a look at the new team and familiarize yourself with the 2019 Indianapolis Colts.
That is why we’re providing you with all the information you need to get out and see the Colts as they go to work. If you plan to attend camp this year (and you should), here is everything you need to know to make that happen.
Location
Grand Park Sports Campus – Westfield, IN (Link to Google map)
Downloadable Map of Grand Park Sports Campus
Dates
Practices will take place between July 25th and August 15th.
Full Schedule
Thursday, July 25: Practice from 2:00-3:40 PM
Friday, July 26: Practice from 2:00-4:00 PM
Saturday, July 27: Practice from 2:00-3:40 PM
Sunday, July 28: Practice from 2:00-4:15 PM
Monday, July 29: Off day
Tuesday, July 30: Practice from 9:00-11:00 AM
Wednesday, July 31: Practice from 9:00-11:15 AM
Thursday, August 1: Practice from 9:00-11:15 AM
Friday, August 2: Off day
Saturday, August 3: Practice from 2:00-4:00 PM
Sunday, August 4: Practice from 2:00-4:15 PM
Monday, August 5: Practice from 2:00-3:40 PM
Tuesday, August 6: Practice from 2:00-4:15 PM
Wednesday, August 7: Off day
Thursday, August 8: Preseason game at Buffalo
Friday, August 9: Off day
Saturday, August 10: Practice from 9:00-10:40 AM
Sunday, August 11: Practice from 9:00-11:15 AM
Monday, August 12: Practice from 9:00-11:15 AM
Tuesday, August 13: Off day
Wednesday, August 14: Practice from 4:00-6:10 PM
Thursday, August 15: Practice from 4:00-6:00 PM
Friday, August 16: Break camp
How to attend and what to bring
Colts training camp doesn’t cost much to attend. You should plan to pay $5 for parking, but the actual camp itself is free of charge. You do however need to have your ticket to get in. This is for the purpose of ensuring that they aren’t overrun with fans.
To get tickets, simply go here.
You cannot bring any food or drinks into camp, and the same clear bag policy that applies on game day is in effect for training camp.
There are various concessions on site, and they are pretty much in line with normal professional concession pricing.
Tips
Take these tips for what they’re worth, but having been a few times, perhaps they can help make your experience a good and memorable one for the right reasons.
Bring sunscreen and sunglasses. There isn’t much in the way of shade at the practice fields and you’ll save yourself much weeping and gnashing of teeth this way.
Drink lots of fluids. Yes, I know I sound like your mother. She’s a smart lady, your mom. In all seriousness, there is no worse way to remember Colts training camp than, “Hey, remember that time I overheated and passed out at Colts camp?”
Get there early. Don’t arrive right when practice is set to start. Everyone gets there at that time, and you’ll be pressed to get a good seat. Additionally, there is a lot to see, and if you are there last minute, you won’t get to take your time.
Don’t move every time the team does. This one is counter intuitive because it is literally the opposite of what everyone else will do. When the team takes the field, they’ll probably work defense and offense separately.
Naturally, most of the crowd gravitates toward the offense, and so you get people abandoning good seats to go to the bleachers in front of the adjacent field. The thing is, midway through, the teams switch.
Now all those folks come rushing back in. If you just keep your seat, you’ll get to see plenty and enjoy yourself without all the jockeying for a spot.
Get a program. Even if you aren’t a “program” kind of person, there is a ton of helpful information in them even just for the day you’re there. There will be more than 100 people roaming around the field in front of you, and that is going to be overwhelming.
It won’t hurt to have a list of players and their respective numbers to reference when looking for your favorite guys. This is especially helpful as there are multiple players with the same number this time of year.
Don’t be a jerk. This should go without saying, but it bears repeating anyway. I met a Colts fan last year who had flown from California just to be at Colts camp. It was a lifelong dream of his and his fiancé helped make it happen for him. I would have hated to be the person who marred that trip by being a jerk to the guy.
There are little kids there who are falling in love with the team we love for the first time, longtime fans who are basking in the beginnings of a new golden era, and people who only kind of know or care anything about the Colts, but are dipping their toes in the water. There are even those who are dealing with loss and personal struggles, for whom football and the Colts are a means of temporary escape.
This is the time of year for hopefulness and excitement. So be cool with people. As with our actual families, there are some knuckleheads and weirdos, but ultimately we are all connected by a common thread. So be cool. I promise, it is better that way.
Feel free to drop any tips or cool training camp stories in the comments.