Roll With It - What Are Ankle Sprains?

Francesco Saporito
Aug 4, 2025
3 min read

DISCLAIMER: This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider if you have concerns about pain, injury, and your (and your child’s) health.

⚠️ What is an Ankle Sprain?

Are you really a footballer if you haven't 'rolled' or sprained your ankle?

An ankle sprain happens when the ligaments - the tough bands that hold your ankle joint together - are overstretched (or when more serious, torn), which usually occurs from rolling or twisting your ankle during game play. In soccer, this can often happen when you land awkwardly, twist and turn while changing direction, or getting bumped by an opponent into an awkward position.

Ankle sprains aren't all the same, and can range in severity depending on a wide array of factors.

Being so prevalent in youth soccer, we decided to put together a small blog of information and prevention tips for you!

💥 What Does It Feel Like?

Sharp pain on the outside or inside of the ankle
Swelling and sometimes bruising
Stiffness or difficulty walking
Weakness or a feeling that the ankle might "give out"
Pain when cutting, turning, or sprinting

🛠️ Prevention & Rehab Tips

Our keys to recovering and preventing future sprains is regaining strength, balance, and mobility.

✅ Ankle Sprain Rehab & Prevention Checklist

🛡️ Prevention Tips (Ongoing After Return)

Warm up fully with dynamic movements (no skipping this!)
Do balance & ankle strength work 2x/week - even when you're healthy
- Single leg balance exercises, calf and heel raises, jumping and landing exercises
Wear cleats or indoor shoes with proper ankle support
Tell your coach if something doesn’t feel right

Recovery

Please note that if any of the below incur pain to stay away and regress - as a reminder: This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider if you have concerns about pain, injury, and your (and your child’s) health.

It's advised that rest itself will not lead to adequate recovery, balance, and strength in our sprained ankle to return to football play - this could lead to another injury in the future.

The first goal is to increase blood flow to the area first through light, non impacting movements, in addition to adequate rest, icing, heating etc. Next, it's to begin improving our strength, while maintaining exercises that encourage blood flow. Lastly, it's to improve our strength and balance through impact exercises that are progressed adequately, from a controlled environment (change of direction drills) to an uncontrolled environment (soccer training).

📆 Early Stage Recovery (0–4 Days Post-Injury)

Rest – No full training. Modify or sit out.
Ice – 15–20 minutes every 2–3 hours for swelling
Compression Wrap – Use an elastic bandage or ankle brace
Elevate – Above heart level when resting
Heat - After swelling reduces, heat the impacted area 10-15 minutes every 2-3 hours
Pain-free ankle circles – 10 reps each direction, 2–3x/day

📆 Mid Stage Recovery (4–10 Days Post-Injury)

Towel Scrunches (for foot strength) – 2 sets of 10
Single-leg balance – 30 seconds x 2 (progress to eyes closed)
Calf raises (double-leg to single-leg) – 2 sets of 10–15
Alphabet with your toes – Trace A–Z in the air
Gentle walking or biking if pain-free – 10–15 minutes

📆 Late Stage Recovery (10 Days – 3 Weeks)

Single-leg hop to balance – 5 each leg
Lateral band walks (glute strength) – 2 x 10 steps each way
Cone taps or clock taps (proprioception) – 30 sec x 2
Mini shuttle runs or zigzag jogs – only if fully pain-free
Return to soccer drills (non-contact) – 10–20 minutes at first

🧠 Staying Mentally Strong When You Can’t Compete

Missing sessions or games can mess with your motivation. Here’s how to stay locked in:

Remind yourself: This is part of the process, not the end of it
Use your time to grow in other ways - watch match footage, journal your training goals, visualize game situations
Stay around your teammates - being part of the group helps you feel less isolated.
Focus on progress: rehab is training too. Every small gain is a win.

🧩 Other Important Notes

Don't rush back! Returning too early = higher risk of re-spraining.
Most players WILL recover fully - but only if they rehab properly.
Chronic ankle issues often stem from poor rehab the first time around.
The stronger and more stable your ankles are, the more confidently you’ll move on the field.