Ankle injuries continue to occur on all levels of sport, including the professional level. You can easily find players on the disabled list in many sports including major league baseball, football and basketball.
Even superficial analysis of how the injury occurred will tell you that most of these injuries can be prevented. For example, a baseball player injuring an ankle while running the bases, another while swinging a bat, a football or basketball player while executing a cutting action or a basketball player on landing from a rebound.
As I often bring out, most injuries are preventable if the player has proper technique and adequate development of the physical abilities related to the skill execution. Teams should make ankle injuries a high priority and not simply rely on taping the athletes before a game or practice.
Teams should be responsible for strengthening the ankle in the major actions that occur during execution of various skills. For example, ankle injuries, commonly known as ankle sprains or strains, occur on the sides of the ankle in actions known as ankle adduction and abduction. This means turning the sole of the foot inward and outward respectively.
The muscles involved in these actions can be easily strengthened by doing these movements with resistance provided by Active Cords. For example, do ankle adduction or abduction in a seated position with the leg straight and the Active cord attached around the ball of the foot area.
You then turn the sole of the foot inward and outward (or outward and then inward) as far as possible, while keeping the foot perpendicular to the shin. You then repeat so that you go through the full range of motion. In this way you strengthen both sides of the ankle which goes a long way to preventing injury.
Keep in mind that most players only strengthen the ankle in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, actions which do not aid in preventing ankle sprains or sprains. You must do ankle adduction and abduction, exercises that are rarely found in most strength training programs.
Strength around the ankle is most important for the prevention of injury. However, technique especially when executing different cutting actions in which the ankle undergoes severe abduction or abduction is also very important. The athletes should learn the correct way of executing a cutting action, how to land from a jump, how to run more effectively etc. When coupled with strength, the athlete will be able to prevent most ankle injuries.
Note that the Active cords can also be used to strengthen the ankle in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. Thus, with the use of Active cords you can get total ankle strength and flexibility development which will go a long way in preventing injury.
For more information on ankle exercises see Biomechanics and Kinesiology of Exercise and Explosive Basketball Training. A DVD is also available (Ankle Surge) showing these exercises For more information on technique involved in running and cutting actions etc. see Build a Better Athlete.