How to Emotionally Tape Your Ankles

First thing I tell my players: You don’t walk onto the court without support.
Second thing? Support won’t save you, but it’ll keep the collapse clean.

Now I’m not talking kinesiology or compression sleeves.
I’m talking emotional stability. I’m talking scar tissue with laces.
I’m talking about taping up the parts of your soul that buckle when someone says “you still talk about gym class a lot.”

So here’s how you emotionally tape your ankles:

1. Acknowledge the Weakness

If your ankle's wobbly, you tape it.
If your confidence snapped in 2003 during a dodgeball tournament where your crush witnessed your elimination and your tears—you tape that too.
Admit the injury. That’s the stretch before the sprint.

2. Choose the Right Tape

Not all tape is equal.
Some of you are using sarcasm when you should be using boundaries.
Others are using hoodies, merch, and childhood nicknames.
That’s fine. Just know what’s holding you together—and how temporary it is.

3. Wrap in a Figure 8 (Infinity of Regret)

Start at the base. Go under the heel. Around the shame spiral.
Loop under denial. Anchor at "it was just a game."
Keep it snug. Not too tight—you’ll want some movement.
You’ll still need to run when your kid makes the same mistake you did.

4. Test for Stability

Can you walk into a high school gym without flinching?
Can you watch your old highlight reel without narrating your own downfall?
Can you talk about “Coach” without crossing your arms and looking away?

No? Tape tighter.

5. Change It Regularly

You can’t reuse the same emotional tape forever.
What worked at 17 doesn’t work at 37.
What once looked like confidence might now just be shin splints in your self-worth.

Final Whistle:

You’re never fully healed. You’re just braced well enough to play.
Tape up. Stand up. Walk back onto the court.

And if it all gives out again?
Coach Gary’s got more tape.