Some traveled great distances, some just a few miles. Either way, Chicago Bears fans are once again arriving in Lake Forest this summer, seeking a glimpse of what their favorite football team will look like in 2025.
Training camp is underway at Halas Hall, with the Bears hosting fans in preparation for the upcoming regular season.
“It gives you a front row experience on what this season will look like,” Lake Forest’s Kelly Brincat said at the July 30 practice, one of several open to the public from late July into August.
Many years fans say they come to training camp to watch a high profile new player. Last year that was quarterback Caleb Williams as the overall number one pick in the 2024 draft entered his rookie year. However, this year a main focus is new head coach Ben Johnson, hired to turn around a team coming off a disappointing 5-12 campaign.
Players have mentioned how Johnson, who previously had been an assistant with the NFC North rival Detroit Lions, is emphasizing getting all the details right in this camp and being tough and thorough.
Brincat, who “loves” the new coaching staff, endorsed that approach.
“You feel this is a more buttoned up, tight ship versus last year. It felt a little more sporadic and not as organized,” she said. “You definitely feel more excitement with the players and it feels more controlled.”
Offering a similar sentiment was Antioch’s Mike Campese.
“From everything you hear of Ben Johnson, it is more disciplined which is good to hear,” he said.
The 2025 training camp operates in much the same way as the previous versions. The fans, many donned in a jersey of their favorite current or former player, can stand on the sidelines or try to get a seat in the bleachers for practice.
Then there is the action away from the practice fields. Team chairman George McCaskey greeted fans, and others posed for pictures with the team mascot Staley. After practice, defensive back Jonathan Owens, tight end Cole Kmet, and offensive lineman Drew Dalman signed autographs.
Other places of interest included the pro shop to buy merchandise or activities provided by team sponsors. Inside the Walter Payton Center, children could play in a bounce house, run on the field, or throw a football.
That’s what Rex Schramek, 9, of San Antonio, Texas, was doing as the family treks more than 1,200 miles to watch their favorite NFL team. While they live more than 1,200 miles away, Rex’s father, Mel, said he attended Northwestern University, and his father was from Cicero. Thus, an allegiance to the Bears remains.
“I love being around Bears fans. There aren’t a lot in San Antonio,” Mel Schramek said, adding they do other things while in the Chicago area. “But this is the centerpiece. If we didn’t have this, we wouldn’t come up.”
Like other fans, Schramek has optimism about the regular season.
Rex Schramek, 9, of San Antonio, Texas, tosses a football at the Walter Payton Center in Lake Forest. (Daniel I. Dorfman/ for the Pioneer Press)
“We are excited about Ben Johnson and the improvements on the (offensive) line,” he said. “I’m really excited for the team, and it will take a little bit of time to get there, but over the next two to three years, hopefully we are right there.”
While many of the activities are continuations from prior years, there are some new features to training camp this year. This year, fans can peer at a wall serving as a tribute to local high school girls’ flag football teams as the team prepares to host their first Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports Day on August 13.
Another introduction is a mobile sensory room in the activation area, providing people with a quiet space. The team believes it may be of particular interest to people with post-traumatic stress disorder or autism.
“People can step inside and decompress,” explained Isabel Silwal of Kulture City, the organization partnering with the Bears on the room.
A new feature of the Bears’ 2025 training camp in Lake Forest is a sensory room where individuals can relax if the noise of practice becomes too excessive. (Daniel I. Dorfman/ for the Pioneer Press)
“It’s so important to us that every fan feels welcomed and comfortable at Bears events,” added Emily Rooney, Bears Vice President of Event Strategy and Hospitality, in a statement. “It’s a quiet, calming space designed for guests with sensory sensitivities who may need a moment away from the noise and excitement. With trained professionals on-site, we want families to know they have our full support, so everyone can enjoy the experience in a way that feels just right for them.”
The July 30 practice enticed fans who come every year and others making their first trip to Halas Hall.
Grayslake’s Kevin Casey is a veteran of training camp.
“I like the closeness,” he said. “You get to see the fans and feel the experience. It is more intimate than going to a game. You just feel much more close to the players.”
For Volo’s Scott Schneider, this was his first time at camp.
“The excitement of the new year and seeing Ben Johnson and the new offense coming together,” Schneider said of why he came by. “It’s a great experience. We love the Bears and we want to be part of it.”
Also in the crowd was Highland Park’s Theo Rollman. He stood on the sidelines, next to his father, Eli. They had been trying to get training camp tickets for years, and this year they were successful.
“It’s interesting to watch things up close such as the offensive linemen doing their drills and how the coaches work with the guys,” Theo Rollman observed.
As for his overall outlook for 2025, the younger Rollman balanced reserve and anticipation for a franchise that had its struggles on the field in recent years.
“I’m not going to get my hopes up too much,” he said. “But I think we are moving in the right direction.”
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.