Tips for Any New York Jets Fans Planning to Attend Minicamp This Week

Apr 26, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Jets fans Steve Destefano (left) , Christian Baladaccini (center) and Joe Legotti wait for the thirty-ninth overall pick to the New York Jets during the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Football is really getting closer when June comes around. Training camp is nearly here with a great many practices that we can attend. We will be at preseason games before we know it, complaining that there are too many. August will be wrapping up, and the regular season will be here before we know it.

But now, it’s minicamp. It’s our first workouts that we are permitted to view as part of the public. The first session is this morning, exclusively for season ticket holders, and tomorrow, is an open session for any type of fan. It’s a great time to watch, see your team develop, and interact with them and fans. It’s a great time.

But, it can be a bit intimidating for anyone that hasn’t attended in the past. So, I thought I would give you some tips to make your experience attending practice just a bit better, so here you go:

KEEP AN EYE ON THE TEAM WEBSITE: This is very important, as any information regarding the changing of practice time, or cancellation of fan access, due to weather, will be announced there first. Keep www.newyorkjets.com near you and accessible.  They will also keep you posted as to what will be going on at the session, so keep yourself posted and be ready to have fun.

TRY TO BE ON TIME, OR CLOSE TO IT: It’s pretty obvious that there will be a lot of people there.  Whether you have attended a practice or you haven’t, they are crazed.  At points of the session, it feels as if you are maneuvering amongst a stadium crowd.  Try to be on time, as you will have the most leeway of room walking over to the field.  And going early can get you positioned almost near the press corp area, where you can have  a view almost as good as there’s.

DON’T FIGHT THROUGH CROWDS: As you are walking towards the stadium, you will feel tempted to walk through the crowd, to try to fight for a better position amongst the younger, shorter crowd.  Don’t follow that temptation.  Wherever your spot on-line naturally positions itself will be perfect.  You will have a view of a portion of an action, and whenever you heard the air horn, they go to different spots on the field so you can see everything.

LIKE AUTOGRAPHS?  YOU WILL BE HAPPY: And you don’t even have to bring memorabilia.  I mean, if you are that type of collector, by all means.  I am just saying, you will not be lost by not bringing items to sign.  Weather and time permitting, there will be autographs to signed.  The players will come to you.  You will be provided  with a card for the players to sign, and the players will have pens.  All you need to bring is yourself, it’s a great system!

Enjoy it this week, it’s a great time.  I wish I could attend.