It was showtime for 30 Boothbay Region girl athletes on Jan. 10. The Little Dribblers held court during halftime of the Boothbay-Carrabec girls varsity game. This was the third time the Little Dribblers, an all-girl squad displaying ball-handling skills and tricks, performed this season.

The Little Dribblers are under the direction of Boothbay Region Elementary School physical education teacher Lauren Brown who began the group eight years ago. At the time, Brown was the Boothbay varsity girls basketball coach. The Little Dribblers began after Brown saw a group of young girls display their dribbling skills at a Scarborough High School girls varsity game. 

Brown was impressed by the skills displayed by the elementary school-age performers.

“It was a bunch of girls practicing a skill that I value as a coach: Taking care of the ball. It also teaches them about being on a team and creates friendships,” Brown said. ”And the hope was getting a ball in their hand would encourage them to play basketball.”

In Maine, the all-girl dribbling shows began in the late 1970s with the Bouncing Bears. The group was the creation of former University of Maine Women’s basketball coach Peter Gavett. The program disbanded before being revitalized in the 1990s by another former University of Maine Women’s basketball coach, Joanne Palombo-McCallie. The all-girl youth dribbling programs in Boothbay and Scarborough are among several around the state.

The current Boothbay girls varsity team includes several players who participated as Lady Dribblers including Brown’s daughter, Page, who was an original member.

Lauren Brown no longer coaches basketball, but she remains as the Lady Dribblers mentor. The program is for girls in grades one through five. Once a Little Dribbler reaches sixth grade, she is eligible to become a student coach. The program begins in late October and ends by February.

Brown conducts practices during the season prior to the school day.

“We practice in the morning once a week before school. They practice the skills performed during the show,” she said.

For fifth grader Makayla Pinkham, this is her fourth and final year as a Little Dribbler. She believes being a part of the group made her a better basketball player.

“I love it because it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “I play basketball at the Y and it’s helped me play better.”

Fourth grader Ariele Alamo started in the second grade. She is one of many who joined the squad to learn all the fancy basketball dribbling and handling skills.

“I thought it would be fun learning all the tricks. It has also helped my ball control,” Alamo said.

For 9-year-old Little Dribbler Lizzy Pearce, one trick in particular stands out as her favorite.

“I like dribbling with my left hand and twirling around on my right,” she said.

The Little Dribblers have two shows remaining. The next is on Jan. 12 during the Boothbay girls’ junior varsity game. Their final performance is Saturday, Jan. 21 at halftime of a Bowdoin College womens’ basketball game.