On November 13th, 2014 Cal Ripken Jr, officially broke ground on the 3rd Ripken Experience baseball complex in the USA. Construction began on the Pigeon Forge baseball complex after the success of Ripken’s other youth baseball sports centers in his hometown of Aberdeen, MD and the beach-side tourism town of Myrtle Beach, SC. The brand new $22.5 million facility is a tournament destination for elite baseball players, bringing a ton of excitement to Pigeon Forge and the surrounding area.
Sports Tournaments
There are back to back lineups of tournaments focused on young athletes. Throughout the season young baseball players look forward to a great range of events that will challenge their skills and spur them on to athletic achievement. Ripken Baseball is based on the baseball principles of integrity, perseverance and determination – important values that will benefit young people as they go through life.
Sports TournamentsThe Ripken Experience is located at 405 Jake Thomas Blvd Rd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863. There is not a more perfect location than Pigeon Forge for this dynamite facility and these interactive tournaments to be held. There are many perks for tourism and baseball fans alike.
State Of The Art Facility
The Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge looks out onto the Great Smoky Mountains and features a two level clubhouse with more than 14,000 square feet. It also includes a 2,749 square foot concession and restroom building, as well as six well-lit fields of synthetic turf. The state of the art complex offers elite training facilities, batting cages, shopping, food and much more. The high quality artificial turf also allows proper water drainage so world class youth baseball tournaments, programming, and events can be offered an anticipated nine months out of the year.
Kids Become The Pros
The entire Cal Ripken experience is centered around making kids feel like Major League Baseball stars. Cal Ripken wanted to inspire young people to follow their baseball dreams. During the tournaments the kids start out on the minor league fields, but as the game progresses, they move toward the major leagues. The young baseball enthusiasts are thrilled to play a game of baseball on a field that is modeled after the same field on which Cal Ripken played.
The players are coached in the professional level dugouts and the score is displayed on state of the art scoreboards. Cal Ripken chose Pigeon Forge because he found that this East Tennessee City was warm, welcoming and friendly. It is conveniently located near local hotels, shops, and attractions which is a major perk for traveling teams and families.
Stay Near Ripken
Another benefit of the location is that it offers plenty of choices for places to stay nearby. There are several hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts in the area. Several even offer group rates for sports teams. In addition, there are many great opportunities nearby for team building activities, such as hiking, camping and canoeing.
Hotels Near RipkenYouth baseball teams attending a tournament not only have the opportunity to play in a world class stadium, but they would also be able to enjoy the attractions and team building opportunities that Pigeon Forge has to offer.
Fun For The Whole Family
Long tournament weekends and constant traveling can feel like work for the family. Pigeon Forge is the perfect opportunity to turn a a weekend of baseball into a fun family vacation. The close distance from Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains gives family the opportunity to explore the other features the town has to offer while they visit.
Things To DoThere are plenty of family friendly activities in Pigeon Forge, including the museums, arcades, theaters, and more. Active outdoor families will love going horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, or trying our extreme sports such as whitewater rafting.
A weekend spent at a baseball tournament or a training camp at The Ripken Experience can easily be turned into a Pigeon Forge vacation. While the kids are training, parents can take the opportunity to explore this lovely mountain town and visit the local art galleries, have a coffee in a local café, dine at one of the many great restaurants or even see one of the famous shows. There’s plenty for all ages to enjoy here.
