Charlieball - The Finer Points

Gabbie has become so much bigger and stronger than Charlie, that she easily strips the ball from him. Right out of his mouth. Consequently, he is having to learn to play smarter. And, seeing as how Indiana is the "Land of Basketball" and is where Charlie was born, he seems to have adopted some basketball moves - namely dribbling, picks, and spins.


The dribble is Charlie's tease -- he takes the "ball" (usually a Cuz) near Gabbie and briefly drops it and retrieves it. If he's lucky, it bounces and he catches it. In any case, it causes Gabbie to lunge for it.

Then there is the pick. A basketball "pick" is a screen -- one player plants himself in place and his teammate with the ball cuts past him so closely that a pursuer has to break off chase to avoid running into the (planted) player. I don't set a pick intentionally, Charlie just treats me as a permanent one. He grabs the ball and whooshes right past me, Gabbie hurtling after. To avoid running into me (which, fortunately, she does), she has to veer off. This gives him a little breathing room... for a little bit.

But, by far, Charlie's best go-to move is the spin. Ball in mouth, he pivots around her, blocking Gabbie with his body. This is almost always successful, almost always good for keeping Gabbie at bay awhile... at least until he gets dizzy.
The spin
Staving off
The inevitable