Weeb Ewbank Hall, located on the north campus of Hofstra University, has been the New York Jets year-round training facility since 1974, and franchise headquarters for the past eight years.

Named in honor of the Hall of Fame coach who led the Jets to victory in Super Bowl III in 1969, the hall is essentially divided in two: upstairs it holds the offices of the coaching staff, scouts, business operations and the like, while the downstairs contains the press room, the weight training room, a box office, a players' lounge, and 70 permanent lockers.

Surrounding the hall are 8 1/2 acres divided into three distinct playing areas. In addition to the large natural grass field familiar to the hundreds of fans who turn out each day to watch an hour or two of practice, are two smaller astro-turf covered fields situated directly along Hempstead Turnpike.

In order to ensure that the team gets its practices in, whatever the weather, the smaller of those two fields is covered by a polymer teflon air support structure.

When it rains heavily, as it did this past week, and a sign on the grass field announces that practice is "closed," it's to the astro-turf that the players have turned.

To watch a practice session, one might easily be lulled into thinking Jets camp is a bit more laid back than it is. As they walk onto the field, players oftentimes pause to sign autographs for children and pose for pictures.

"Hi, I'm Glenn," said quarterback Glenn Foley as he greeted the parents of a child wearing a miniature version of his own green jersey emblazoned with a big white number four.

On the field, most of the rest of the team was already limbering up at different practice stations, some practicing rudimentary skills, like hiking the ball, while others caught passes thrown by a mechanical passer.

With so many athletes on the field -- more than 70 -- and the coaches appearing for the moment just to be mingling with select players, the scene appeared at first to be chaotic.

Then a whistle blew and practice became perfect, Parcells supervising team calisthentics before moving on to preparations for game day.

As upbeat as the camp seemed, there was behind every action, casual or calculated, one, very serious reality -- while the current Jets squad had close to 80 players on this given day, the roster had to be cut down, by league rules, to 60 players by August 25,and down to just 53 players by August 30.

After taking on their cross-town rivals, the New York Giants will be in pre-season play this week and traveling to Chicago to face off against the Bears next week, The regular season opens for the Jets, on the road, in San Francisco, on Sept. 6.

Shortly after Parcells' post-Baltimore press briefing, Henry Sirkin, who grew up in Brooklyn and is now raising his own family in Edison, New Jersey, was asked why he thought it important to bring his son Kevin and a cousin, Andrew Benick, to see a practice.

"I think it's good for young people to actually see what goes into an actual game," he said. "The preparation. The practice.

"At the same time, I've tried to impress upon the boys that training camp is also an educational experience for the players, that there's all kinds of schooling that goes on, about strategy and so forth, that they don't see.

"What better way to teach them that competing in something like football is not just throwing balls and tackles?"

"At the same time, I think the atmosphere surrounding training camp is a good one for children to be exposed to," Sirkin continued. "fans have been waiting a long time to feel this, to see their team exhibit a winning attitude."

Mike Baker, who had traveled with his son and his son's friend from Woodbridge, New Jersey to see a practice, was asked why he'd come so far on a beautiful, if humid, summer's day.

"Well, we have season tickets, but they're in God's country, so to speak... so I saw this as an opportunity for my son Joseph and Sean Walsh here to see the team up close.

"And what better way to spend the day than to throw the ball around with your son beforehand and enjoy the fresh air?"

Like Sirkin, Baker said he also sees attending a practice season as an educational experience for his son.

"Oh, absolutely," he explained. "I mean, there's the example of good leadership ability, through Parcells, there's the teamwork. I want the boys to see that these players are all friends. I want them to see the determination.

"All of which, I guess, adds up to my wanting them to see what it really takes to be a good athlete. And at the same time, it's a lot of fun.

"It's super, sports are good for the kids," Baker said.