Don't assume that just because they are pro's they know ...

Exit Sandman: Yanks' Rivera Bids Goodbye to Bronx

Mariano Rivera said goodbye to Yankee Stadium with hugs, tears and cheers.

Baseball's most acclaimed relief pitcher made an emotional exit in his final appearance in the Yankees' home pinstripes, when captain Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte came to the mound to remove him with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.

"It's time to go," Jeter appeared to tell Rivera. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ABC.

Kicking Back Comments: I share this story not as a weepy goodbye to the NY hurler, whom I respect very much, but to point out that pro's don't know all the rules themselves. From the article:

"It was an extraordinary sight in a sport where a manager almost always goes to the mound to make a pitching change. Yankees manager Joe Girardi checked with the umpires to make certain Jeter, who is on the disabled list, could take part."

I have experienced this many times in my professional career as well. Pro's at times are clueless about the laws and their implementation.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud Girardi for asking, it was the smart thing to do. I also believe that even if not allowed, it would have been allowed that night ... but the point remains that you should not be fooled into thinking that a player or coach knows better because they are, or were a pro.

This extends to people that are older ... they are not necessarily wiser at all.

One of the very best pieces of advise I got from my dad when I became a youth referee was that when it comes to player safety and officiating a match, I was allowed to "talk back" (politely) to adults. Just because they are older, does not mean they know at all about what they are talking about.

How true this is ... most of the time.

I learned too that sometimes they are REALLY right ... and it can take years to discover it.

Day 6: Enjoy the experience

Back in 1994 the Regionals were held in New Jersey. It was that year I learned this lesson the hard way. A lesson that all these experiences with the youth game should be enjoyed, because they are not around forever.

It was that year I was fortunate enough to be selected for Youth Nationals. I remember it clearly, I was in some shock as I stood in the parking lot just after leaving the fields after being told. My dad was near by, he was assessing at the tournament and had taken some time to watch me that day to make sure I was behaving myself. He didn't know yet, or at least didn't let on he knew about me going to Youth Nationals.

I was just standing there watching a match from a distance and the SYRA came up and said, "Well, I guess that's it." I snapped out of my daze and said something to the effect of, "Just what are you talking about?"

"That's it. You're done with the youth game after Nationals. Time for you to move on." He pated me on the back and he and my dad walked off discussing if it would be okay for my dad to watch me in Minnesota.

I just stood there dumbfounded ... and started to cry.

That was it? All that time, all those friends and experiences ... done? Years of refereeing flashed in my head.

Yes. That was it. It was just about the end of my competitive youth refereeing career.

I barely took the time to take it all in along the way. One day I was refereeing 6 a side matches in Walpole when I was 12 years old ... the very next it seemed, I was on a flight to referee in the most prestigious youth tournament in the US for me. It was too much. I continued to choke back tears for a few minutes just watching that match from the parking lot. Trying to cope with having to let that part of my refereeing career go.

So why do I offer such a personal story?

Just as a thought.

Take the time to enjoy the ride. It does not last forever, and may just end sooner than you may like.