Sportsmanship

Children's Literature - Jean Boreen

This text is part of the "Ethics of Sports" series specifically focused on introducing ethical issues related to the world of sports. This particular text, with its focus on sportsmanship, contains ten chapters that begin with a general introduction to the ethical connection between sports and sportsmanship and ends with a section that asks readers to consider other topics and scenarios related to sportsmanship. The eight chapters in between consider what sportsmanship looks like in various sporting situations, discuss the necessity of fair play, rules and respect, and then highlight situations where athletes have been pressured to succeed, both through families and friends as well as cultural motivations. Final chapters focus on how we, as individual, are impacted by good and bad sportsmanship and whether these issues even matter (answer: they do). Well-chosen photos throughout the text help readers connect to specific athletes as well as represent the issues discussed; quotes from the last 200 years related to sportsmanship and role modeling also add to this text. The glossary and "Find Out More" sections at the end provide additional resources for those who would like more information about what was discussed in the book; the notes sections for this series is excellent and a model for other series. This text, and the series in general, provide a phenomenal look at issues in sports that have a wide impact and are a fabulous resource for teachers looking for good examples of nonfiction. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.