Charlie talks technique

Charlie Mooar began playing korfball with Mixx in 2021. After making his international debut last July at the U21 World Korfball Championship in Turkey, Charlie is in the Mixx NZ U19 team heading to Taiwan, and the New Zealand U21 squad preparing for the Asia Oceania U21 Championship in August. His younger brother Sam is also making his way in korfball, as a member of the Mixx NZ U17 squad. Now in year 13, Charlie is Deputy Head Boy at Christchurch Boys High.

 

Since the start of his korfball career it’s always been obvious that he is an intelligent player who understands the value of technique. We talked to him about that.

 

What, or who, inspired you to believe that good korfball technique was important for your game?

Once I started to see the higher levels of korfball in New Zealand and around the world, I knew that getting the knowledge of how to shoot, pass, move and rebound was going to be very important if I wanted to play at that level.

 

How did you learn and perfect your technique?

Seeing Youri and Torsten play and being in a team with them during the 2023 winter league was a huge part of how I was able to learn. Mixx trainings and the Masterclass sessions last year with Dutch coaches Daan van der Klis and Manon Wiegerink also helped, allowing me to learn the extra little things.

 

What are you working on in your korfball technique now?

Right now my focus is on getting my shooting down, and being able to move more freely, while playing at my own pace. This will allow me to use change of pace to really get the defender guessing, which helps create space for our team. While I’m working on this, I’m also trying to focus on shot selection, and when to shoot.

 

Which players do you look at to improve your technique?

I look at Youri and Torsten, but also many other people I’ve played with and against. Playing with Tyrell Eden and Cody Siegenthaler, I try to match how they move off of the ball and their rebounding ability. Playing with Scarlett Kirby, Tayla Hardy and Zara Sadler, I look at how they are able to create space for their team-mates to attack by being a threat themselves. In general, I watch games I have played in, or senior level games, and focus on different players, mostly the dominant rebounder and the primary attacker of each four. This allows me to see how they move, especially the Dutch players.

 

When you played in the 2024 U21 World Korfball Championship in Turkey, which players impressed you with their technique?

The Belgian and Dutch players were unreal in the way that they moved and played as a team. Those teams, defensively, were insane to watch: the trust they had in each other, and the way they almost played in slow motion was inspiring, which is something we can do in New Zealand once we get the basic defensive fundamentals down.

 

Do you and your brother Sam spend time together on your technique?

Sam definitely puts in a lot more time at home on his technique. We made a homemade korfball hoop, using a metal pole and a rubbish bin, and most days he will be outside shooting short shots, and just really getting reps in. Getting technique down is about repetition, which is something that the 2024 U21 campaign was amazing for: having weekly trainings, the majority of which ended in a game, meant I could put what I have been working on during Mixx, school, and U21 trainings to use.

 

What’s it like having your brother in korfball as well?

I think Sam’s time will come. He has finally found the sport that he wants to put the time into, and once he starts to understand his body post-growth spurt, and he starts to play against older players who will pressure him and make him uncomfortable on the court, he will definitely be better than me, and hopefully most others around him. But not yet! I’m counting my days though.