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barsred98
116 Posts |
 Posted - 08/15/2011 : 19:33:21
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Anyone going to Ripken Experience in 2012? We went this year for 12u and our boys had an awesome experience! Less expensive than Cooperstown and closer to home with more things to do in Myrtle Beach. We have a legacy certificate which we can pass on to another team. It will save you $ and if used we both get a signed Cal Ripken jersey to use as a fundraiser. Email me if interested!
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HITANDRUN
436 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2011 : 15:04:06
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| How much was it? How many teams were in the tournament? Did you get rings? Did you stay in barracks or off site? Could you wear your own uniform? |
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T13
257 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2011 : 15:48:36
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| Go over a holiday...only about $650for the entire team and you can stay in a hotel alot cheaper....fantastic complex and lots of fun..... |
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TODDS
153 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2011 : 20:22:30
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| Played there last year and it is not $650 per team but $650 per player AND per coach!!! It is a little cheaper if u stay at a hotel not affiliated with the Rypkein Experience. Nice park but EXTREMELY expensive!! Not worth the $ in my opinion. Sorry |
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Glove Smacker
47 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2011 : 21:24:08
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quote:
Originally posted by TODDS
Played there last year and it is not $650 per team but $650 per player AND per coach!!! It is a little cheaper if u stay at a hotel not affiliated with the Rypkein Experience. Nice park but EXTREMELY expensive!! Not worth the $ in my opinion. Sorry
You are wrong. If you would have read the post more clearly, you would have seen where they said go over the HOLIDAY weekend, not the one at the end of June. These tourneys are ALOT cheaper. You are very right about one thing, it is a really nice park.
By the way, this is how you spell it: R-I-P-K-E-N. Not Rypkein. |
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barsred98
116 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2011 : 22:36:48
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There were 35 teams in our age bracket and a total of around 100 the week we went. You wear your own uniforms. We did not make it to the ship so I am not sure what the final 2 recieve. Each player was awarded a Ripken consolation medal on a neck ribbon when you lost out of the bracket. There are no barracks, they use condos that have pools, lazy river and activity center. The cost without accomodations was $535 per player and coach or $675 with accomodations.
With the certificate you save the cost of 1 coach which is $535. We recieve an autographed jersey for passing on the certificate and the team recieves one also when payment are made on time. It cost you nothing and saves you the 1 coach fee and gets you the jersey to raffle and raise funds.
Ripken was very well run and the kids/coaches really enjoyed using the free passes to the water park, putt putt and nascar. Coaches also get free golf all week.
The fields are beautiful with all artificial turf and many training islands and cages for warm up before games. Games were well scheduled to allow time for having fun in Myrtle. Very nice opening day including parade of teams, skills contest and a free picnic for players and coaches. All games have an announcer calling the kids throughout the games and have walkup music. They give free chickfila certificate for returned foul balls which makes great entertainment for the sibling and some dads! It is very much a family atmosphere! There is a 6 game minimum.
The coaches recieved a really nice Ripken windbreaker and the players all recieved a duffle bag with Cal Ripken bobble head, a Ripken cap, and other goodies.
Our team opted to book our own condos at the beach but we talked to teams that used the Ripken condos and said they were nice. It believe that you get two 3 BR condos to use as the team desires.
Yes a little more expensive than some but so much more than an ordinary end of year trip and worth every bit especially as an alternative to Cooperstown.
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momshell
103 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2011 : 09:57:48
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| Our team went to Ripken Myrtle beach this year. I think it is expensive. The park was nice and the facilities were great, but if you go, opt out of staying at their condos. They say they will put your team in condos that are together, but they don't. Every team that was there when we went had the same experience. You will be scattered everywhere and the complex is huge. If your families book there and request to be near you, just know that isn't going to happen. You will have to drive to get to each other's condos. I was very disappointed in this. They booked our team into 2- 2 bedroom condos and 1- 3 bedroom condo. You will have more fun if you book your own condos on the beach. |
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agent21
97 Posts |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 10:46:49
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| Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the "Ripken" condos are even on the beach and have an "institutional" look and feel. Seems to me if you are going, you'd want to stay on the beach and there are lots of options. Also, at 14U, Ripken Experience seems to be a little hokey but I guess that depends on the maturity level of your player. Lots of grumbling our week that Cal Ripken wasn't even there but we heard his recorded voice over the loudspeaker throughout the day; others have said the same thing. So basically, he's using his name to make money but hey, more power to him if people are willing to buy into it. |
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stanlewis
545 Posts |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 11:14:32
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| Unfortunately it is very difficult for Cal Ripken to be there. A few years ago I was the AAU representative for a national tournament in Myrtle Beach and we were using the Ripken complex as one of the venues. Cal Ripken came to either a semi-final or the final game. It took 4 staff members to keep people trying to get autographs away so he could sit in the stands and watch the game and just interact with the people sitting around him. It finally became such a distraction to the game that they set up a table for autographs away from the field. This was the end of a 92 team 7 game guarantee tournament so the teams playing had played hard all week and the parents are leaving the game to go stand in line to get an autograph and most of them missed the end of the game. |
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barsred98
116 Posts |
Posted - 08/19/2011 : 16:38:57
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| agent21- I dont think any one here said that the Ripken condos Are on the beach because they are not. There is nothing institutional about what they do have. see http://www.myrtlewoodvillas.com They have nothing in there promotional material that says Cal Ripken will be there. And show me a ex ball player that doesnt use his name to make money! In fact, find a tournament director anywhere who is not in it for the cash, whether for charity or as earning a living! |
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coachRucker
86 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2011 : 16:45:06
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I am interested in the legacy pass. Went two years ago and want to take my sons team this year. Call me or email me at 678-677-5535, ruck9969@msn.com
Thanks,
Jeff Rucker |
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CHEagleselite
36 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2011 : 07:12:34
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| I'm also interested in the certificate if Coach Rucker opts not to take it. Call me at 404-915-4979. Thanks Kevin. |
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Jmulinaro
34 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2011 : 13:25:42
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Thank you to Robin for starting this thread. My name is Joe Mulinaro and I am the regional manager for Ripken in Georgia and I work with all of the team that are interested in our facility in Myrtle Beach and Aberdeen, MD.
I am free any time of the day to talk about Ripken events. We are not the cheapest option out there but I truly believe we are the best.
We have little flaws out there but we focus on customer service and taking care of you.
Our teams come back. To give you an idea in 2009 we had 19 GA teams...in 2010 we had 30 teams from GA and in 2011 we had 61 teams come from GA to our weeklong events, not including all that came for weekends. To compare 63 GA teams went to Cooperstown in 2011 and they are no longer going to have 10u tourneys.
If you need me:
Joe Mulinaro
317-797-3031
Jmulinaro@ripkenbaseball.com
Thanks again Robin...and by the way she has a Legacy but 60 other teams have one from last year as well...ask them for it so you can get discounts! |
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agent21
97 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2011 : 18:00:16
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| Any comments about the condition of the Myrtlewood Villas, the Ripken-affiliated accommodations? If you stay there, do they assign all families from one team to units in the same building? |
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bball-fan
89 Posts |
Posted - 09/08/2011 : 21:37:04
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Agent21,
Book your condo on your own through VRBO. It's cheaper and you can pick your condo. If you book through Myrtlewood all you are requesting is the basic type of room. With VRBO you can pick specific condos/amenities/and see pictures beforehand. The grounds are nice, many pools though they are small. Very short drive to the fields, Bi-lo grocery store a block away, easy drive to beach. |
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zwndad
170 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2011 : 09:04:49
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I agree with bball-fan. This was 4 years ago, but we were all in the same general section of the complex at Myrtlewood, but we were not in a cluster of units which would have been nice. Also, they were pretty strict about the players running around the complex and wanted us to keep the noise down at the pool. I guess they didn't realize that they were housing 10-14 year old boys.
If we were going to do it again, we would definitely stay somewhere else. |
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momshell
103 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2011 : 14:00:17
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| agent21: If you are going to stay at Myrtlewood, bballfan is right about booking through VRBO. Your team will not know what units they will stay in until they are checking in at the Ripken complex.It is a huge place. You will probably have to drive to each other's units. They will likely not be in units together. If you want to stay together you will need to book everyone at a different complex and I would very strongly recommend that. None of the units booked to teams when we went this summer had wifi, but VRBO units did have wifi. The team units were nice and clean, but we had too few towels(not enough for 1 per person in our condo) and house keeping never brought any more after repeated calls to them each day. The family that booked through VRBO had a nice condo that was well furnished with anything you could need. There are so many places to stay at Myrtle Beach and if we could do it over again, we would stay within walking distance of the beach. |
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wjeggert
29 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2011 : 15:47:29
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| Great venue. I think its worth it for southern teams to use it as the end of the year "vacation" tourney. I think Cooperstown is better in most aspects though. The logistics to go to Ripken are far easier for southern teams. I would suggest Cooperstown at 12, Ripken at 13 or 14, but I would not recommend Myrtlewoods as they are not tournament team friendly there. Go to the beach, Id go towards the N. Myrtle Beach area. |
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barsred98
116 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2011 : 21:35:29
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| Many places to book at the beach. Our team stayed at Paradise Beach resort toward airport. Nice 2-4 bedroom condos. Daily DJ/Karaoke at the pool,activities for kids, lazy river, covered indoor pool and hottub. Onsite breakfast restaurant. Pool bar with grill. 15 minutes to fields. |
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SouthSide24
44 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2011 : 13:42:26
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No way would I go to Ripken..Your better off playing Triple Crown National tournament in Myrtle Beach.. More teams than the week you pick, $750 entry fee for entire tournament, not $535 to $650 PER KID AND COACH..Actually you do not know what you will pay, because sales rep is on commission and gets paid by how many teams he can get for each week..So you may pay $675 but the team across the state may pay $495 per player...Like buying an airline ticket, everyone has a different price..Which is bullcrap..
Again, this is why you should negotiate your deal with them.
So if your going to Myrtle Beach, go to Triple Crown Summer Nationals, way less expensive, one entry fee price, same minimum games guarantee..Save your team around $5k for same vlocation, plus competition is better for Triple Crown. |
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Ripken Experience
