In any trainer’s kit bag, there is going to be plenty of athletic tape to serve their athletes. Common in most every sport, the use of athletic tape for support and stability is a great way for athletes to be able to play their hardest and still reduce the risk of injury, even without a trainer.
Ankles First
One of the most common uses for athletic tape is to support the ankles. Using a careful procedure (that can be quickly learned), a coach or trainer wraps the athlete’s ankles to prevent too much strain on this crucial pivot point. Some adhesive spray is used to make the tape stick, and typically a pre-wrap is used to help protect the skin from irritation. The ankle is then taped in a very precise manner (starts like a stirrup, ends like a cast), weaving the athletic tape in alternating layers to improve the stability offered.
Taping an ankle is common in football, hockey, basketball, baseball, and many more sports. It is safe to say that if a sport requires an athlete to put pressure on their ankles, chances are good there are going to be more than a few taped-up on any playing field.
Novices Welcome
Taping an ankle is not something that only happens on a professional field of play, nor is this the only use for athletic tape. Many individuals take advantage of athletic tape to cover a blister so they can continue training. It’s also not uncommon for athletic tape to be used to support or reinforce muscles and joints that tend to grow tired from a good workout or healthy run.
If you are finding that athletic tape helps your performance from time to time, it pays to take a quick online tutorial on how to best wrap your tender areas. Take advantage of using pre-wraps, to protect your skin from irritation. Schools, medical colleges and more have all released videos on how to properly apply athletic tape, so even if it is your first time trying it, you don’t have to approach it blindly.
Take the time to study some of the basic techniques in using athletic tape correctly, and you may not be a novice athlete for long!
In football, injuries are common. There is something about grown men playing their best on the gridiron that seems to “bring on the pain.” Luckily, football players have trainers to keep them performing at their best. And these trainers have athletic tape: lots of it.
Athletic tape is the twelfth man every Sunday in the NFL. From linebackers to defensive ends, pound-for-pound, there is a lot of athletic tape going into every huddle. It is wrapped on ankles and supporting calf muscles, it is protecting ribs and securing fingers and fractures beneath the uniforms of both teams.
Not to mention all the pads and shoes it helps hold into place.
It has been estimated that 80 miles of athletic tape are used by most football teams on any given game day. This supports the idea of support, it seems.
Time and again, some fierce action on the field leaves players needing to support broken fingers or get through a muscle strain and not leave the game. But with just a few minutes on the sidelines, the trainers have them wrapped securely in athletic tape, banged and bruised but still ready to serve their team’s needs.
The twelfth man.
It would probably be an accurate guess to think that at some point, every professional football player has relied on athletic tape for some reason. There is always a sprain, or strain or fracture in the history of every devoted player. Luckily, 80 miles of athletic tape divides among 11 players many times over, when necessary.
Athletic tape is there when it is needed – it is a clutch player in a game of seconds. If a player comes to the sidelines battered and bruised, all the coaching in the world won’t help support or protect his injuries. The coaching is a vital part of the win, but the athletic tape is what holds everything together to cross the finish line.
So fans may believe that they are the ones to offer their teams support when things are getting rough. But in football, there is at least 80 miles of evidence left at the scene of every confrontation that might suggest otherwise.
In a recent story by ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/french11/news/story?id=6555385), they tell how Kim Clijisters said she was healthy enough to compete at the French Open.
In the story, ESPN states: “The Belgian said Monday that she will play with her right ankle taped…” and she later states herself: “I am not totally without pain, but the strong tape round my ankle gives me sufficient security.”
Once again, the necessity for reliable athletic tape helps a professional to reach their highest potential. But this story is not an isolated one by any means. Perhaps you are familiar with a quarterback named Brett Favre? (Hint: he played in the NFL). [ read more ]
Whether you’re injured on the field or during a practice, combining athletic tape and pre wrap is the best possible way to help keep the injured area stable while reducing the risk of repetitive pain or stress on the affected area. In the past, athletes have used athletic tape as a way to help maintain their grip on sports equipment like hockey sticks or baseball bats. They also apply it directly to areas of the skin to keep the underlying muscles from moving as much as possible. This direct application is thought to help prevent additional injury and impact on the muscles, tendons and tissues being used. And, while tape on its own works well to keep muscles stationary – it comes with a few unwanted “side effects”. [ read more ]
If you’re looking for bargains on athletic tape supplies, you don’t need to barge in with a handful of coupons at your local sports store and you don’t need to scour the internet at 3 o’clock in the morning to save money. In some cases, you may get exactly what you paid for – in the form of cheap athletic tape that peels, scrunches up or doesn’t let your muscle work the way it was designed to! Plus, when you buy athletic tape, you’ll also want to consider other things that can help make it work even better. The end result – you train better, and heal faster, with the right supplies on hand. [ read more ]
You know when your team goes out to the field, the floor or the ice – it’s all about performance and giving the fans what they came for – a win! Now, your team spirit can go beyond uniforms and helmets and even include the colored athletic tape that you wear to help prevent further damage to injured muscles and tendons. Makers of the best athletic tapes are learning that team spirit can boost your performance, and what better way to show your pride (and still play comfortably) than with the athletic tape you use? [ read more ]
Athletic taping has long been used by players to help improve their grip – particularly in baseball and hockey. But it truly shines when it’s used to support overworked or i
nflamed muscles, as any training athlete can tell you. Traditional tape generally overlaps gauze and helps keep it in place to prevent additional movement of the injured muscle, tissue or tendon. The theory is, the less the muscle moves, the less it can be strained and therefore the faster it will heal. While this idea has been the main point of most athletic tapes for decades, new findings are beginning to support more flexible brands of tape which include elasticity and breathable fabric to allow mobility even for sore or injured muscles.
[ read more ]
Athletic Tape, also known as sports tape, is constructed to provide support and stabilize ligaments and joints. Professional athletes, to prevent injury to tendons or muscle groups, utilize a variety of taping methods to immobilizing the injury. Usually, this is the preferred athletic taping technique which is considered by many physical therapists to be the method of choice.
Traditionally, sports tape has been very crucial for situations where the joint has become very unstable or the instability has become severe enough that a tight tape job is necessary to keep the area safe from further injury. In order to provide additional support, Athletic Tape should be applied by a professional who understands the best practices for taping. However, in cases where severe injury has occurred, athletes look to other types of sports tapes. [ read more ]
Today’s hype about using Athletic Tape is no joke, especially when it’s been proven to reduce the risk of injury. Various styles of sports tapes have been used by top Athletes all over the world. Today every locker room in every corner of the world should carry it as a first aid supply. [ read more ]
"Everyone has the desire to win, but only champions have the desire to prepare . . ."
