The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge

Jason Smith

Great fields and View. The schedule was planned great. We had a great experience except for one thing that was very important to us which is the officiating. When you spend 10,000 for team fees not including travel expenses to go to a tournament you should expect umpires who don’t call a strike zone like rec ball. We had one good umpire that call an accurate strike zone. All the others called strikes in the other batters box the whole time which were impossible to hit by anyone. this was many teams only complaint the whole time. Every team we asked had the same issue and every game we watched had the same issue. I gave 2 stars because the location is a given and everything else was great. The officiating is very important to us. It’s an easy fix to get 5 stars. Just get a Director to come and watch some of the games randomly to make sure they are called better and hold them accountable for the easy things that are obvious like what a strike and a ball is. No one is asking for perfection. They are going to miss calls that’s a part of baseball, but knowing that 12 inches some times 2 feet off the plate is not a strike for 10u baseball is not acceptable. I have many pictures to prove it. I hope this is fixed because it could be a great experience but the trip is more about competing with kids across the nation and having fun first. The scenery and attractions around town are just a bonus.

Amanda Frowein

While the grounds and view were gorgeous, there was certainly a lack of communication when it came to what to expect regarding the officiating. While we only played 3 games, all 3 games only had ONE umpire. This is unacceptable. ONE umpire behind the plate cannot properly officiate an entire field. It truly was a disservice to all teams, and when we questioned it, we were told there was an umpire shortage. That information should have been communicated before any fees were paid for tournament entry. Be warned, the "experience" you're paying for is nothing special.

Chris Jefferson

We took an 11U Team to play in the Big Bend State Tournament last weekend. The park is beautiful, well maintained, and the fields are nicer than most fields that most of these kids will ever play on. The food, fun, and accommodations in the area is awesome!!! Now that the good part is out of the way, let’s talk about the Ripken Experience. We had a situation with an Umpire and took this situation to the tournament director whose name is Justin. He investigated the complaint by speaking to the other team’s coach, a few fans, and the umpires. He said that all of the stories matched, so all 3 of our coach’s could coach the next game which was in Bracket Play. Halfway through the second inning of our Bracket Play game, Justin comes down to the field and tells our Team Manager that the Assistant Coach and Pitching Coach had to leave the field or our team would forfeit. He said we could still stay in the stands, but that he had to follow the rules. However, the rule states that after a coach is thrown out of a game, they can not return to the park as a coach or a spectator during the team’s next game. What Justin and the Umpires didn’t know, is that none of our coaching staff has kids playing on that team. We are paid by the team through our organization. We will never return to Pigeon Forge to play in a Ripken Tournament again. And when I say we…..I mean any of our organizations 34 teams.

Chris Schweighart

What an amazing and modern baseball facility! Excellent location in the heart of Pigeon Forge, on a hill providing awesome views of the area. The turf fiends are in fantastic shape, and modeled after popular minor league ballparks like Fluor Field in Greenville SC. There are play areas for the little ones, and shaded picnic tables for hanging out and eating between games. An overall top notch experience for the players.