SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego Chargers will open training camp for the 2013 season Thursday at Chargers Park, with the first of four consecutive days of practices open to the public.
The gates at Chargers Park at 4020 Murphy Canyon Road will open at 8:30 a.m. The practice will be conducted from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Due to the lack of available parking around Chargers Park on weekdays, team officials are urging fans to park at Gate C of Qualcomm Stadium and take a free shuttle bus to the Chargers Park.
Parking and admission to all training camp practices at Chargers Park are free.
Bleacher seating will be available. Fans are welcome to bring folding chairs to sit on the pavement surrounding the practice fields. Fans can bring their own food, water and soft drinks. However, cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are not allowed at Chargers Park at any time.
A concession stand selling hot and cold food, snacks, water and soft drinks will be open. The Chargers Team Store will have a mobile location where the latest team merchandise and apparel will be available.
The Charger Girls and a handful of former Charger players will make special appearances during training camp practices.
Fans may bring personal cameras, but video cameras and long-lens cameras are not allowed.
Other items not permitted at Chargers Park during training camp include pets (but not service dogs), weapons, chains, stun guns, mace and pepper spray, water guns, fireworks, Frisbees, sports balls, beach balls or other inflatable objects, laser pointers, flammable objects, musical instruments or noise making devices.
The Chargers will have eight other practices open to the public:
-- Friday (3-5 p.m.);
-- Saturday (9:30-11:30 a.m.);
-- Sunday (3-5 p.m.);
-- Aug. 1 (9:30-11:30 a.m.);
-- Aug. 5 (3-5 p.m.);
-- Aug. 10 (9:30-11:30 a.m.);
-- Aug. 12 (3-5 p.m.); and
-- Aug. 17 (9:30-11:30 a.m.).
Gates to Chargers Park will open one hour before the start of each practice.
Shuttle bus service will also be available for Friday's practice. For the rest of training camp, parking will be available on Murphy Canyon Road for weekday practices. For weekend practices, fans will be able to park on Murphy Canyon Road and at the Kearny Mesa Business Center, located just south of Chargers Park.
The training camp will be the first to be conducted by Mike McCoy, named as coach in January to succeed the fired Norv Turner after being the Denver Broncos offensive coordinator for four seasons.
New players include inside linebacker Manti Te'o, who the Chargers chose in the second round of the NFL draft after he was the runner-up in voting for the 2012 Heisman Trophy. Te'o received extensive news media coverage when it was learned in January he was duped by a hoax involving a fake girlfriend.
