Amazon.com
"Hut! Hut! Go long, Tiki!"

Tiki and Ronde's twelfth summer is winding down--the nights are getting shorter and the evenings cooler. That means two things: The first day ofjunior high is just a few days away, and it's almost the start of football season at last. With two championships and an 8-2 season last year, Tikiand Ronde are ready to graduate from the Peewee League and hit the field as starting players for the Hidden Valley Eagles.

But junior high is a lot bigger than elementary school. The competition for starting spots is stiff, and seniority rules. If Tiki and Ronde make it past tryouts and cuts, will they get the chance to play, or will they have to spend the season watching from the bench with the other seventh graders?

Inspired by the childhood of NFL superstars Tiki and Ronde Barber,Kickoff! is a story of teamwork, perseverance, and what it takes to be a champion.

Amazon.com Exclusive Q&A with NFL Superstars Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber, Authors of Kickoff!

Amazon.com: How do the lessons learned on the field benefit a player's academic life?

Tiki Barber: The structure and discipline that it takes to understand schemes and game plans are great tools that transcend the playing field and carry into the classroom.Additionally, because of the strict academic guidelines for athletes, doing well in school is often a requirement for participation.

Ronde Barber: I honestly don't think they benefit it in a direct way. To me, playing lessons are more life lessons. What you are as a student is more a reflection of what you are willing to put into your schoolwork. And in that way I guess it correlates but only because in sports, if you're talented enough and have enough drive, you will reap the rewards of the hard work you put into it.

Amazon.com: In Kickoff! Tiki and Ronde are faced with a tough decision: Should they stick with the team even if it means riding the bench? What advice do you have for kids who love their sport but aren't getting a lot of playing time on the field?

Ronde: You are the only one who can control how hard you work regardless of your current amount of playing time. There may be better players on your team, but that doesn't mean you can't outwork them. It takes absolutely no talent to work hard, do your best, and be the most focused guy. Eventually we all get our opportunity.

Tiki: I would encourage them to keep their eyes on the prize. If you never stop trying then you will never fail. I would also tell them to try and differentiate themselves by developing a specific skill or to consider a different position that may suit their talents better.

Amazon.com: How important is a positive attitude to a team's success?

Tiki: A positive attitude is critical to a team's success. There was a poster in our locker room that speaks specifically to this: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right!" It's the belief that you can be successful that pulls you through the tough times, on the field and off.

Ronde: You only get out of anything what your mind is willing to accept is possible. The best way to gain success is to prepare for success and then see it through. So if you don't believe it is possible, chances are it won't be.

Amazon.com:How can a player get the attention of his or her coach?

Ronde: Do the right things and take coaching well. No one, especially a coach, likes a negative attitude.

Tiki: A good way to get a coach to notice you is to volunteer to do things that other players might shy away from. For example, in football, being a special teams player is important but lacks that glory that athletes crave. By volunteering to do the grunt work, you show your coach that you have the passion to be on the field and help the team win.

Amazon.com:Growing up, what was the most important thing you learned from your coaches?

Tiki: That even though you put all of your energy into something, and still fail, don't be discouraged, because in actuality you've learned a valuable lesson that will help you be successful in the future.

Ronde: Well, I had lots of coaches growing up and they all had important influences on me. It would be hard to say any one is more important than another. But what sticks out to me is the idea of just playing hard. Expect adversity. And force your will on your opposition.

Amazon.com:What advice do you have for students who have a difficult time balancing school and sports?

Ronde: To me the best part of playing sports in school was that it made me organize my time in order to get everything done. Unlike regular kids, student athletes have less free time to commit to their schoolwork. So I would encourage them to schedule their day around their sport. You know when you have to be at practice, and you know when you have to be at school. The time in between you can get a lot done, so make it a routine that you can stick with.

Tiki: Make lists. It allows you to prioritize the important things in your life. When you can systematically check off the day's tasks, you're more able to focus on completing them.

Amazon.com:Growing up, did you ever get nervous before a game or in the classroom? How did you handle it?

Tiki: I was always nervous before every game and in the classroom, at test time for instance. I was always able to handle it by visualizing success: Playing the seAmazon.comuence of events through my head helped prepare me for what was ahead.

Ronde: Everyone feels nerves or anxiety at times. I think of it as excess energy. There is nothing you can really do to get rid of it. The best way I know how to deal with it is to make sure you are prepared to succeed. If you know you have studied enough for a test or practiced enough for a game, then you can expect to know how you will do, and in that way you can embrace those nerves and use that energy to your advantage.

Amazon.com:Kickoff! delivers the message that "players make plays, but teams win championships." How does this message apply to sports and life?

Ronde: I don't think we can ever really accomplish anything in life by ourselves. We always have parents, friends, coaches, teachers that lift us up and help us along. In a sense, that is your team in life just as a good Amazon.comuarterback needs good receivers to help him or a good running back needs a good offensive line. Only together can they succeed. So when we compete or when we test, yes, it's the individual that has to make the "play" but it's the whole team that wins in the end.

Tiki: We all have individual responsibilities in sports and in life. Personal focus and dedication are paramount to being successful individually, but it is the coordinated effort of the many that ultimately brings fulfillment. That applies to a team, a marriage, a job, etc. We are all components of something, and the strength of all components determines the viability of the whole.

---

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great story - Better message.
This is the first chapter book for kids by Tiki and Ronde Barber. I started getting Tiki and Ronde's fine picture books for my son because he saw Tiki and Ronde speaking about it on MNF. They are quality stories with excellent messages for kids. Tiki and Ronde are role models that a parent can embrace for their character, which is something I am always struggling with when I find sports related books for my son. ... Read more

Book Description
Tiki and Ronde were each other's best friends. Together from the start, these twins might not have been the strongest or the tallest, but they were fast and worked hard at what they loved. And they loved sports, especially football.

Then one day Tiki badly hurt his knee in a biking accident, and he was sure he'd never be able to play again. Their mother had always told them, "You are each other's best friends. Stick together, believe in yourselves, and you can do anything." They kept her words in their hearts and never gave up.

Based on the childhood of National Football League superstars Ronde and Tiki Barber, this inspiring book about the values of family, hard work, and determination is the story of what it takes to be a champion.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Awesome Book!
I read this book about two brothers side by side.They do a lot of sports like Football and baseball.The next day they went with a friend and then Ronde biked up the mud and he broke his leg.Rondes leg healed and then he was able to play sports.They played Football at a middle school stadium.The Football game was going to begin at night.At the end of the game they won.
I liked this book a lot.I liked this book because it was a nice story about two brothers side by side working together.

Wonderful
Perfect choice for young footballer - the Barber twins are wonderful people.

Great book for children!!!!
My grandson loved this book! He has a younger brother and it was nice to see him read it to him.

Highly Recommended
If this book were any sweeter it would cause cavities.

I bought this book for my 7 year old and I think I like it more than he does.

Tiki and Ronde demonstrate how they work together off the football field when Tiki injures his leg one summer.Their brotherly bond helps Tiki to wait out his injury and eventually make it back to the playing field better than ever.

Football is a side note to the themes of patience, endurance, doing the right thing (Homework!), and overcoming what seem to be insurmountable odds.

I hope they write more books like this one.

By My Brother's Side
By My Brother's Side is about two boys that love sports but their favorite is football.Their names are Ronde and Tiki Barber.WHen Tiki was little he fell down a dirt hill on his bike and cut his knee open and the doctor said he may never be able to play sports again.Now Tiki Barberis on the New York Giants (number 21) and his brother Ronde Barber is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (number 20).They now are professional football players. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

TEAMMATES
I LIKED THE CONCEPT OF THE STOREY, i BROUGHT THE BOOK FOR MY 6 YEAR OLD GRANDSON WHO HAD A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE VOCABULARY. AND KEEPING HIS ATTENTION AND KEEPING IT FOR THE ENTIRE BOOK WAS NOT EASY. WE READ A LITTLE EVERY DAY WITH US TAKING TURNS READING AND MY HELPING WITH SOME OF THE WORDS AFTER WHICH HE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH. ALSO SEEING CHARACTERS THAT LOOK SIMULAR TO HIM AND HIS FRIENDS HE REALLY LOVED WE WILL BE READING IT AGAIN WE READ A BOOK EVERY TIME HE VISITS WHICH IS TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK AND THAT IS OUR SPECIAL TIME. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS.

Good message, poor writing
Overall this book has a good message, but the writing is really amateurish. You can tell Tiki and Ronde are not professional writers. If your kids like football, they will like this book. Just don't expect Roald Dahl.

Teammates
Tiki and Ronde Barber share their feelings in this book about what it means to be on a team. These two professional football players are true sportsmen and give young football players someone to look up to.

Teammates
I have a son who hates to read, but he loves football. So this series of books has been great for him. This newest book in the series is good, but didn't seem to keep his attention as much as Game Day did. I really love the story of this book. What kid has not been on a team and felt like they were letting the team down? My boy's coach is really hard on the kids so I loved pointing out that just because someone is having trouble with a certain thing that doesn't mean they are a bad kid or a bad player. And in this book when the kid being asked to give up his position ends up being an NFL Allstar - well what better point to make. I think this will help my boy realize that what his coaches or teammates think of him at 8, 10 or even in high school doesn't always ring true. Its up to him and his efforts

A great little read :-)
I reviewed Game Day earlier in the year after buying it for my nephew and both he and I (yes I admit it) loved it.Full of great pictures and a nice message, this is similar to Game Day in that respect.
Both Tiki and Ronde have written this together (it's also going to be their last book in this series).It's about learning how to be a team, which these days (after seeing kids and parents brawl) is an important message. It's also about perserverance, and learning to rely on family.They base their stories loosely around their own childhood experiences growing up playing ball so the story is sincere.Now that they each play for the NFL (Tampa Bay and the Giants), these brothers are hero's to little kids and so their words are more inspiring and meaningful.That's a big appeal in their books.
In Teammates, they are teammates on the Cave Spring Vikings and when Tiki is upset over the way he plays a game, his coach inspires him to believe in himself.So with the help of his brother Ronde, they secretly practice each morning before school to help give Tiki's game a lift and help him hold onto the ball.
It's well written and the pictures are as good as always.It is inspirational to kids and they make it enjoyable.I really think all kids will love it and find lessons in here, and it will make an excellent birthday gift to a little one be it boy or girl. ... Read more

Book Description
Ronde and Tiki are a team. They are twins, they are each other's best friends and biggest fans, and they play on the same football team, the Cave Spring Vikings. Ronde

is #21 and Tiki is #22, always side by side.

Tiki has had seven long touch-down runs this season, and Ronde is proud of his brother, but he can't help feeling a little down when Tiki gets all the glory. If Ronde hadn't been leading the way with his blocks, Tiki wouldn't have been clear to score. Ronde thinks nobody notices the guy who blocks; they only notice the guy who scores. Will the day ever come when Ronde will get his chance?

Written by two NFL superstars, this story of perseverance and teamwork will inspire. Barry Root's glowing illustrations bring to life all the excitement and energy of a great game and a team working together.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Rachael Smart
Interesting and fun text with real message and value.Football season and the beginning of school make a perfect time to use the book for classroom guidance.

Get It!
you should read Game Day if you like Football. you should get your hands on this book.

Game Day
My son was very happy with this book.........took him all of 15 minutes to read the whole thing......great book!!

Highly Recommended - They did it again!
I ran out and bought this book for my 7 year old son after getting their first book- By My Brother's Side.

This book is equally engaging and oh so sweet as it deals with the theme of teamwork.

Young Ronde feels overlooked as the defensive powerhouse who enables Tiki to go for long runs and make all the touchdowns.Ronde finally gets a chance to be in the spotlight with the help of his coach and his mother when he gets to run the ball in for a touchdown.

This book points out that we all have our roles to play in life and we don't always get recognized.Yet, that is no excuse for us to pity ourselves, and we should still 'Play Proud' as Mrs. Barber always told her sons.

I hope they write more books like this.

Good story about family ;-)
What a really cute book.I got this for my little nephew who loves it.The pictures are lovely and so well done, and the story is real.It is about family and being there for each other.Of course there is the sport which will keep all kids entertained.It's a great effort from a (cute) very talented Giant of the game.Especially good for little boys, they will want you to read this over and over. ... Read more