TROUGH TRADITIONS AND DEVOTION: KHERSON HANDBALL CLUB “DNIPRYANKA”

Abstract

Annotation. Team sports have always been the most attractive to young people, as they not only allow for the strengthening of body and spirit but also teach teamwork, laying the foundation for true friendship and an entire school of women’s handball, with its own traditions of training, methodology, and even style of play. Kherson women’s handball is undoubtedly a unique phenomenon, the history and development of which deserve detailed study and coverage. This article is dedicated to the analysis of the historical path of the activities of the handball club “Dnipryanka” (Kherson) as a basic centre for the training of the women’s handball reserve in Southern Ukraine. The key stages of the team’s development under the leadership of the honoured coach of Ukraine, Mykhailo Myloslavskyi, have been highlighted. The aim of the research was to systematize the sports achievements of the handball club “Dnipryanka” from 1989 to 2022 and to justify the club’s role as a key link in the training of players at the national and international levels. The study employed the following methods: theoretical – analysis of archival materials and examination of scientific and methodological sources; systematic and comparative analysis; biographical method; empirical – conversations and interviews; methods of mathematical statistics. The contribution of individual coaches and athletes has been highlighted, whose activities and charisma have contributed to the elevation of the level and status of the handball movement in the region, as well as the popularization of this type of team sport in southern Ukraine. Handball Club “Dnipryanka” during its period of operation (1989-2022) has gone from an amateur team to one of the most titled clubs in Ukraine. The acquisition of 10 bronze medals and the historic “silver” in the 2021/2022 season confirmed the status of Kherson Oblast as a powerful center for handball reserve training. The research materials confirm the necessity of preserving the club’s methodological heritage as a foundation for the future revival of handball in the liberated Kherson. Continuity of traditions thru the involvement of coaching staff and club alumni is a strategic resource for restoring the region’s sporting glory. The results of the work are of practical interest to physical education teachers, researchers, sports managers, public officials, and coaches interested in preserving and developing team sports in Ukraine and can also be used for further development of sports development strategies at the regional level.