Mobility is more than just stretching. Active mobility and end range strength improve your body's capacity to withstand the stresses we put on it every day. It is important to work on stretching and mobility as much as strength because it expands your bodies ability to withstand injury.
Which leads me to discuss tight ankles. Ankle mobility is a key component to much of what we do. Poor ankle mobility can inhibit your ability to properly perform multiple movements. It ultimately effects how we walk, run, and play sports. Ankle mobility in particular takes consistency and time to make progress. the ankle is a hinge joint and is only able to move through the sagittal plane. Decrease in this mobility is often due to overtraining, poor shoes wear, history of ankle sprains, and or tight calf muscles.
Some exercises we use in the clinic to improve dorsiflexion include:
Kettlebell assisted dorsiflexion on a step
Weighted dorsiflexion with kettlebell sweeps
Active calf rolling using a ball or foam roll
Eccentric heel raises
Single leg balance drills
Incorporating some of these exercises into your daily mobility routine should improve your overall performance.