San Diego Chargers pre-season training camp wrapped up last weekend at their “Chargers Park” facility in the Murphy Canyon area of San Diego just north of their home field at Qualcomm Stadium.
Thanks to T’s grandma and my mom, T and I got into a closed San Diego Chargers pre-season training camp session last week! For those who know me personally, you know my undying love and support of the not-always super-charged but always bolt-rific NFL team based out of San Diego, and it’s my long-term goal to pass along my fanatical frenzy to T at some point in his lifetime.
T outside of Chargers Park in San Diego before our trip behind-the-scenes at a closed, pre-season practice session! He even brought his new parachute toy; he did keep asking if we were going to a game so maybe the parachutist came along for a pre-game show jump!
T was a little more into the snack bucket (and the cooler of drinks and ice below the table) than the practice going on behind him. Maybe he is ready for the NFL after all!
I’ve been to Chargers Park several times before, but totally missed this awesome pool tucked back in the Southeast corner of the facility. Bet it came in handy after Thursday’s practice with the heat and humidity San Diego’s had all last week!
While T isn’t exactly as enamored with pro football as I am just yet, we’ve been trying to sway him each season since his birth. Every season T gets a new jersey from his grandma (so, yes, that is about five jerseys so far, including a few jersey-style onesies; I only have had one jersey my whole life, and that was the one I got when T was born!), and I do my best to have the games on TV just in case he wants to take a time-out from his go-go-go to stop and watch a few plays. In fact, just days after I gave birth to T, I still recall the fond memory of my mom, C, and me sitting in my hospital room huddled around my bed watching the Chargers beat (well, actually lay down a beating upon) the Denver Broncos (T was in the NICU fattening up so he could come home with me the next morning, which he did, so we all won that battle, too).
San Diego Chargers’ General Manager A.J. Smith looks on as the team runs through practice last Thursday. He’s got some tough decisions to make in the next couple of weeks as roster cap deadlines approach, but he’s “been there-done that” before with a moderate history of success. Despite fan and media criticism regarding his high-risk draft and trade practices, GM Smith has managed to achieve a remarkable level of rewards; the Chargers have not had a losing record for the past seven straight seasons and have won the AFC West title in five of the last eight seasons that Smith has been with the team.
The San Diego Chargers run through a few plays last week at Chargers Park during a closed practice session.
We got to see a few different drills during last Thursday’s closed practice session of the San Diego Chargers, including some QB drills.
Now while I couldn’t even tell you our chances this year in the standings or the playoff picture, I still try to watch whenever I can, even if I can’t sit down for an entire game. I just can’t follow along with all of the behind-the-scenes and play calling exactly as well as I could pre-T, and that’s OK. It’s not my goal to force T to sit and watch games every single week for 17-plus weeks from August through January (hey, I’m ever-hopeful regarding those playoffs!); it’s only my goal to show him that his mom has other interests other than taking him to playgrounds, museums, and the library. Now please don’t misunderstand me, because while all of those are mighty fine places, sometimes they just not as adrenaline-pumping as the 16th week of NFL season or a Chargers-Broncos rivalry match-up. And as much as I can’t tell you who’s starting in what position this year for the Chargers outside of QB Philip Rivers, I do know that the Chargers’ former Indianapolis Colts QB punching bag Peyton Manning is slated to start for those donkeys – er, I mean Broncos – so those definitely will be a couple of horse races to tune into this season!
San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers (17, red shirt) takes a break on the sidelines in between practice plays.
Sadly, Chargers’ training camp just closed its public viewings for the 2012 season last weekend, but pre-season games have begun! The next home game will be this coming Saturday August 18 against the Dallas Cowboys; the rest of the 2012 Chargers’ full season schedule is here.
Go Bolts!
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