Ankle Braces Add Comfort, Confidence For Athletes Of All Ages
Anna Church started playing volleyball at 8 years old. By age 13, she recognized the need for ankle protection and turned to Active Ankle® braces for support.
Over the course of a ten-year — and counting — volleyball career, Church has run the gamut of ankle injuries. She’s experienced quick twists, full twists and bad ankle sprains.
But every time she faces an injury, her routine is the same.
“Whenever I’m injured, I tape my ankle and tightly lace up my Active Ankle brace,” she said. “For me, this is the best option and I have no doubt that some of my injuries would have been much worse if I hadn’t been wearing my braces.”
Church started by playing club volleyball around the Kansas City area before continuing her career at the University of Kansas, where she was part of the 2015 Final Four team. She now plays professionally in France. Active Ankle has been with her every step of the way.
“They have provided me the best support and have kept my ankles strong throughout my career,” she said. “I trust that my braces will keep me from substantial injury and help me recover quickly if I get injured.”
Active Ankle got their start in the volleyball market more than 25 years ago. They conduct countless hours of injury-prevention research to bring the best educational information — and the best products — to the market.
They also offer excellent customer service, something Jeff Grove, associate head coach of women’s volleyball at Kansas State University, can attest to.
“I appreciate their willingness to go above and beyond to make sure we have what we need when it comes to ankle braces,” Grove said. “They’ve been great to work with.”
Staff from Active Ankle visited Kansas State’s practice facility, fitted each player individually, answered questions and offered an ankle protection solution for the entire team.
“Our players have talked very highly about the AS1Pro Lace-Up Ankle Brace they are currently wearing,” Grove said. “They trust that it will protect them.”
At Kansas State, front-row players are required to wear ankle protection, while defensive specialists and liberos are given a little more flexibility.
Because volleyball is an up, down, side- to-side sport, experts suggest all athletes consider some sort of ankle support.
“The number one thing to remember, regardless of age, is if you’ve sprained your ankle before, you need to have protection,” said Phil Page, director of research and education at Performance Health. “Studies show that ankle braces can be preventative for a reoccurring injury.”
“If you don’t have a history of injury, some type of protection is recommended, but not required,” he continued. “The level of protection needed depends on the risk associated with the level of skill or competition you’re playing at.”
As skill level increases, the likelihood of ankle injuries follows suit. It’s important to know and understand the level of protection you need to play comfortably, confidently and competitively.
For more information about Active Ankle and the products mentioned, visit www.activeankle.com.