In bright pink and blue shirts, second and third grade girls took over the Dartmouth Middle School basketball court, competing for the championship title that would mark the completion of the age division’s very first season in the Dartmouth Girls Athletic League.

It may have been team University of Connecticut who won, but for the league, seeing the program's success makes them all feel like winners. It was an “experiment,” but “the kids have loved it,” said the program’s commissioner Steve DaCosta.

According to DaCosta, approximately 45 to 50 girls signed up for the new age division this year and the season has been “outstanding.”

He said he loves seeing the friendships develop and talent grow in each of the age divisions. 

“On the court, you can tell they’ve improved as the season’s gone on,” he added. “I’m very impressed with how they played this year.”

In addition to the new division, the program also saw an increase in games, adding five to last year’s 10.

During the championship, the court may have been a bit bigger than they were used to, but the teams had no problem adjusting as they fought for the title.

Though the Syracuse University lost to UConn, the girls were still excited to have spent their winter playing basketball with their friends.

After the game, Rylee Larsen, Leah Baptista, Lana Leverett and Aurora Conchinita discussed their first season of basketball, which was the first time all four of them played in any official capacity. 

“It’s been nice,” said Larsen, adding that her favorite part was spending time with her friend, Ella Soares. 

“My cousin, he did basketball, and I just really thought that basketball would be fun for me.”

The verdict? Larsen says she loved it.

The other girls weren’t feeling any different. Conchinita said, “It’s fun to play with other teams.”

Baptista said she thought it was “very fun” because although she has played outside with her brother, “I wanted to play for real.”

And she’s seen herself improved this past season, particularly in dribbling with her left hand and shooting. 

Leverett said she just realized she was good at basketball and asked her parents if there were any opportunities to play. In her time with the league this season, she said she’s seen most improvement in her shooting.