While high school basketball teams across Massachusetts are competing in state championships, the Dartmouth Youth Activities Association hosted a tournament of their own at Quinn Elementary School on Saturday, March 18.

The competitors ranged in age from eight to 18, each playing in four different leagues for the Dartmouth Youth Athletic Association All Star Basketball Game.

According to Jon Aubertine, this is the first year that the junior and little leagues have participated in the tournament.

Junior league players are between the ages of eight and 10, and little league players are between the ages of 11 and 12.

“This is the first year we’ve had the younger two groups and I’ve never seen more people [at the game] than when I pulled in [today],” said Aubertine.

The younger leagues started training in December and the older teams began after January, said Aubertine.

According to Aubertine, the end of the season when the association holds tournaments is the “best part” of the year.

“They’re always very competitive, this is the perfect way to end the year,” said Aubertine. “It’s been a long year — a lot of work to get through the whole year — and then to have everybody just have fun is perfect.”

Aubertine explained that for the pony and colt leagues, which consist of players between the ages of 13 and 18, the Association gives out MVP trophies.

This year, both MVP awards were named in honor of past members of the DYAA who passed away: John Horan, an 18-year-old player in the colt league who died almost 20 years ago, said Aubertine, and Jeff Cunha, who was a DYAA basketball coach.

In the colt league, Kolby Deroches was awarded with the MVP trophy, and in the pony league Chris Scott took home the trophy.

“Any time you win an MVP it’s kinda cool,” said Aubertine. “I don’t know any other leagues that have it. It’s a pretty cool thing to be recognized as the most important player in the entire league.”