Long Term Success
I first became aware of Active Ankle over 17 years ago, when I was an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii. I saw how effectively Active Ankle braces protected athletes—both from ankle rolls and in reducing the severity of sprains. As a result, when I became head coach at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, and later at the University of Pennsylvania, I wanted to use these braces because I knew they would protect my players.
I use the Active Ankle for one simple reason—with only about three months of play, our collegiate volleyball season is very short. A typical ankle sprain can take two or three weeks to heal—about 1/3 of the season. If that happens to a primary player, it could mean losing 1/3 of the year’s matches, and even a lost possibility of conference tournament or post-season play. But if my players wear Active Ankle brace and turn an ankle, they are usually back on the court within two or three days, since the brace keeps the ankle from rolling all the way.
The Active Ankle braces’ design makes sense—it really protects the ankle from turning all the way. I have had no reason to try other designs because this product does what it says—it prevents and/or reduces the severity of ankle sprains.
My positive experience with Active Ankle has gone beyond the braces to my relationship with the company as well. Recently, a few of my players wanted to wear a less-rigid brace that would lace up. Active Ankle worked with us to find a product within the company’s line that gave my players the comfort they wanted— while providing the safety I knew they needed. With all of the choices available from Active Ankle, my athletes can find the product that works best for them.
Plus, Active Ankle has always worked with us to get the right sizes, products, and colors in a timely manner. If we need more braces than we ordered, or a different size, Active Ankle rushes them to us.
I can thank Active Ankle for keeping us in the Ivy League championship hunt every year—right up to the final match of the season—and then keeping our best athletes on the floor during post-season NCAA play. When it’s “one and done” in the NCAA championship bracket, I know my athletes will be healthy and ready to play.
The longest-tenured and winningest coach in program history, Kerry Carr began her 15th season as the head women’s volleyball coach at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012. Under her tutelage, the Quakers have collected five Ivy League championships and nine 15-win seasons—highlighted by back-to-back Ivy League titles and NCAA championship appearances in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, Carr also became the program’s all-time leader in victories, finishing the season with 214 victories and an impressive 110-50 mark in league play.