Go Long! by Ronde Barber Read Free Book Online Page B

we’re wasting time here.”
    â€œBut are we gonna get out there and practice today?” Cody asked.
    â€œYeah!” some of the others agreed, and pretty soon, it was a whole chorus, clamoring to go outside and play some football.
    â€œYou’ll get out there on the field when, and if, we get done with this ,” Coach Wheeler insisted. “Now calm down, all of you. None of you played a perfect game yesterday. You can still learn a thing or two from watching tape of yourselves, believe me.”
    They watched for another hour. Ronde got to see how his man had beaten him downfield by dodging Ronde’s bump at the line. “Hey—I could avoid that by makingthe hit quicker, and with more force,” he said to himself, making a mental note.
    Like all the other kids, he wanted to get out on the field and move around. But he could see why Mr. Wheeler wanted them to sit here and do some studying.
    When they were finally done, Coach Wheeler looked at his watch and said, “There’s not enough time to go out on the field today. We’ll get out there tomorrow and work on everything then.”
    A major groan went up from the benches.
    â€œFOR NOW,” Wheeler said, loud enough to make them quiet down, “I would like us to all close our eyes and breathe deeply. . . .”
    â€œ Now what?” Cody muttered under his breath.
    Coach Wheeler didn’t hear him—or if he did, he ignored Cody. “Concentrate on your breath . . . ,” he told the players. “You’re feeling all the tension rise up through the top of your head and the bottoms of your feet . . . now I want you to visualize next week’s game against Patrick Henry. See yourself making all the right moves . . . scoring that touchdown, catching that pass, making that tackle . . .”
    â€œWatching that videotape . . . ,” Cody whispered, making the boys nearest to him burst out laughing.
    â€œShhh . . . ,” said Coach Wheeler. “Concentrate on victory . . . see it in your mind’s eye . . . see us all heldtogether as a team with a big, giant rubber band. . . .”
    Ronde heard sniggering from a few of the boys. He opened one eye and saw that Tiki was looking right back at him.
    Ronde opened his other eye and glanced up at the ceiling, as if to say, “This is so weird.”
    Tiki winced. Ronde knew his brother liked Mr. Wheeler as a teacher and wanted him to succeed as the Eagles’ coach. Hey, they all wanted that.
    But Wheeler’s “new way” didn’t seem like the road to success to Ronde—and clearly, not to most of the other boys, either.
    If he was trying to rally them behind him so they’d play their best, the Eagles’ new head coach was getting off to a really miserable start.
    Kind of like the team.
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    Out in front of the school, Tiki and Ronde saw their mom standing in front of the car. Seeing them, she waved and tried to smile.
    Ronde knew she was trying to pick up their spirits and make them feel better. But nothing could erase the sting of the terrible opening-game loss—nothing but a resounding victory in tomorrow’s game.
    â€œSomebody’s got to talk to Cody, man,” Tiki said as they walked to the car. Tiki nodded his head in the directionof the quarterback, who was standing in the parking lot waiting for his own ride to show.
    â€œYeah,” Ronde agreed. “You’re right. Go on, go talk to him.”
    â€œMe?”
    Ronde blinked. “You’re not saying you think I should do it?”
    â€œYeah, man,” Tiki said. “I’ll back you up.”
    â€œHow ’bout I back you up?” Ronde countered.
    â€œAw, Ronde, I can’t talk to that kid.”
    â€œSo? Me neither. He’s way too . . .”
    â€œI know,”