{"id":110285,"date":"2025-08-01T12:52:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T12:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/110285\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T12:52:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T12:52:17","slug":"fans-trek-to-lake-forest-for-chicago-bears-training-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/110285\/","title":{"rendered":"Fans trek to Lake Forest for Chicago Bears training camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

Training camp is underway at Halas Hall, with the Bears hosting fans in preparation for the upcoming regular season.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives you a front row experience on what this season will look like,\u201d Lake Forest\u2019s Kelly Brincat said at the July 30 practice, one of several open to the public from late July into August.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Brincat, who \u201cloves\u201d the new coaching staff, endorsed that approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou feel this is a more buttoned up, tight ship versus last year. It felt a little more sporadic and not as organized,\u201d she said. \u201cYou definitely feel more excitement with the players and it feels more controlled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offering a similar sentiment was Antioch\u2019s Mike Campese.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom everything you hear of Ben Johnson, it is more disciplined which is good to hear,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s 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\u2019s father, Mel, said he attended Northwestern University, and his father was from Cicero. Thus, an allegiance to the Bears remains.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love being around Bears fans. There aren\u2019t a lot in San Antonio,\u201d Mel Schramek said, adding they do other things while in the Chicago area. \u201cBut this is the centerpiece. If we didn\u2019t have this, we wouldn\u2019t come up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like other fans, Schramek has optimism about the regular season.<\/p>\n

\"RexRex Schramek, 9, of San Antonio, Texas, tosses a football at the Walter Payton Center in Lake Forest. (Daniel I. Dorfman\/ for the Pioneer Press)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited about Ben Johnson and the improvements on the (offensive) line,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019 flag football teams as the team prepares to host their first Celebrating Women and Girls in Sports Day on August 13.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can step inside and decompress,\u201d explained Isabel Silwal of Kulture City, the organization partnering with the Bears on the room.<\/p>\n

\"AA 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)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so important to us that every fan feels welcomed and comfortable at Bears events,\u201d added Emily Rooney, Bears Vice President of Event Strategy and Hospitality, in a statement. \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The July 30 practice enticed fans who come every year and others making their first trip to Halas Hall.<\/p>\n

Grayslake\u2019s Kevin Casey is a veteran of training camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the closeness,\u201d he said. \u201cYou 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Volo\u2019s Scott Schneider, this was his first time at camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe excitement of the new year and seeing Ben Johnson and the new offense coming together,\u201d Schneider said of why he came by. \u201cIt\u2019s a great experience. We love the Bears and we want to be part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also in the crowd was Highland Park\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s interesting to watch things up close such as the offensive linemen doing their drills and how the coaches work with the guys,\u201d Theo Rollman observed.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to get my hopes up too much,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I think we are moving in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some traveled great distances, some just a few miles. Either way, Chicago Bears fans are once again arriving…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":110286,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,531,70174,5386,1818,20025,20026],"class_list":{"0":"post-110285","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-chicago-bears","10":"tag-halas-hall","11":"tag-il","12":"tag-illinois","13":"tag-lake-forest","14":"tag-training-camp"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114953607364189333","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110285\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}