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Good sportsmanship makes all activities more enjoyable for everyone involved. Naito offers specific and fundamental basics of good sportsmanship, assuring fun and safety on the slopes. But these lessons in sports etiquette cross over into almost every activity. "No matter what sports you are watching or participating in, there are individuals that demonstrate poor sportsmanship," Naito says. The author effectively uses various case studies as examples of how to be good sports in various situations, but the bottom line is the same in each one: be gracious, be kind, be helpful, and be respectful.
No license or training certification is required for skiing, so this book is vital because it explains the rules of civility, like looking uphill and yielding before starting out. If readers have skied all their lives and gradually learned the rules over the years, seeing them all listed on the page is surprising as there are actually a lot of them. For readers who aren't skiers, the book is still helpful in guiding children and fans in the stands, "One needs to start holding parents accountable; parents need to see for themselves how ridiculous they look...." A not-so-gracious sport on the basketball field may be awakened to bad sportsmanship when thinking about it in a less personal setting, like talking about a ski race. After all, respect applies to basketball teammates as well as ski mates.
The author’s book, written skillfully for young children, is also useful for older athletes, as they may gain some important awareness by reading the book to younger siblings. In short, Naito has written a valuable book that offers important lessons in sportsmanship for all.