An article by Svitlana Prokopchuk, Media Coordinator of the USB Association, “Sport as Proof of ‘Usefulness’,” published in Journal B.
In her article, the author reflects on the Soviet legacy of perceiving sport as a tool for proving “usefulness,” status, and superiority, rather than as a space for joy and health. Through personal experience and a cultural comparison between Ukraine and Switzerland, Svitlana shows how sport in the USSR functioned as a means of propaganda, social control, and a symbol of unattainable elitism. This model still influences how children are raised today: the focus is placed on victory, medals, and competition, rather than on feelings and the process itself.
At the same time, in contemporary Ukraine sport has taken on a new meaning—as a form of national resistance and a symbol of unity during the war. However, the author raises a crucial question: how can sport be returned to the “ordinary” person—as a source of health, self-care, and permission simply to be, rather than a constant need to prove one’s worth through winning?
Read the article here:
https://journal-b.ch/artikel/sport-als-beweis-der-eigenen-nuetzlichkeit/
Illustration: David Fürst
