What better way to celebrate our 20th Anniversary year then by highlighting the inspiration for our mission, Cal, Sr. During his 37-year career, Cal Ripken, Sr. taught the basics of the game and of life to players big and small. After he passed away, Cal, Jr. , and Bill recognized that not every child is lucky enough to have such a great mentor and role model. In this spirit, the Ripken family started the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation in 2001. Through his legacy we have been able to positively impact over 10 million kids across the country!
Our evidenced-based youth development programs are based on Cal, Sr.’s four fundamental principles that created the “The Ripken Way.” The basis of this methodology include:
1. Keep It Simple: simple, basic lessons are crucial to building a foundation that will last.
2. Explain the Why: When you explain how to do something and it makes sense to young people, they will build confidence and stick to it.
3. Make It Fun: Lessons and skills will grow boring unless they are made fun.
4. Celebrate the Individual: When kids feel comfortable with their own unique style, they build confidence and are more likely to succeed.
Over the last 20 years, The Ripken Way has helped us to develop our strategies for all of our successful youth development programs that currently impact over 1.2 million kids.
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