Coaches loose ankles

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My daughters coach told my daughter who is a eight year old level 4 that her ankles are loose when she is on the beam. My daughter said they just figured it out. I am not sure what she means by this Are her ankles weak? My daughter says they click alot during practice. She actually does well on the beam and has never fall off during a meet. Is there exercises she can do to strengthen them.:confused:
 
By loose ankles the coach could mean that her ankles are weak. The way I would take a comment about loose ankles would be that her ligaments and tendons in her ankles are loose, meaning that her ankles may roll easily. It may also be seen by the way she stands on her toes--when she stands on her toes, do her ankles seem to go back and forth/roll? If this is the case then I suggest doing tons of toe raises (stand on a set of stairs and raise your heals up as high as they go, then back down as low as the go--repeat about 15 times). Toe raises can be done 3 different directions--feet facing forward, feet turned out, and feet turned in. These exercises can help strengthen her ankles. Also just practicing standing on her toes with her weight on the ball of her foot will also help. There are also some physcial therapy exercises that she could do, but i'm not sure of them off the top of my head.


As far as the clicking I wouldn't be too worried--mine do the same thing and it's rather common.
 
As a coach we are not qualifed to make medical diagnosis, as tempting as it may be even when we think we know what the problem is. Loose ankle would suggest as Hammy said a weak, or sublaxated ligaments, or possible absent or torn.
Alternatively and most likely this coach mean a weak, wobbly ankle. This is counteracted by doing regular strenghtening and proprioceptive exercises.
Exercise 1- Toe Raises as hammy descrbibed with the different foot possitions
Exercise 2- Toe raises while keeping the knees bent
Exercise 3- Inversion and Eversion against resistance (Link Removed). Therabands are perfect for this, and most gym have them.
Exercise 4- Bend rise lower exercise (Start standing close to beam, 2 fingers on beam for balance. Bend your knees till about 45deg, the lock the ankles out so that you are on the ball of your foot with your heel as high up of the floor as you can. The knees should be above the ankle not infront. Then raise now standup (stretch) and push up straight up without! the knees moving just stand up so you are standing straight up on the balls of your feet. Important thing here is that as you begin to stand up your heel should not drop down. You have to keep it up.. This is a great!! exercise
Exercise 5- Wooble board balance (Link Removed). Start with two feet and progress to 1 footed stance. 1min at a time 3-4 times.
Exercise 6-Toe drags - Standing on the floor, just with your toes try and drag yourself across the floor. Bruttal but great.
Exercise 7- Balance on toes and on flat feet with eyes closed again 1min 3-4 times per stance postion.

You dont have to do all these exercise but pick 2-3 and do them regularly (well your daughter)
 
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Valentin--the other exercises that you listed were the physcial therapy ones that I was trying to think of. It really is a common thing--I had rather "loose" ankles, but the exercises helped a ton.
 
Great minds think a like i guess Hammy :D haha..
Yeah you right though.. very standard exercise nothing special.
 

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