Dartmouth Youth Athletic Association athletes and members of the travel basketball team got to sit courtside at the Dec. 28 Dartmouth High boys varsity basketball team.

They were participating in the first youth sports night, meant to connect players across ages. Any DYAA or travel team player wearing his or her jersey got free admission and a spot on bleachers right behind the players benches.

The night was also a big one for the high school team, who locked down its first win of the season 50-34 against Bourne.

“We had a rough start to the season,” Head Coach Kyle Grandfield said. “Being a new coach, you throw a lot of new concepts at the kids.”

Grandfield said he and the team thought of the first four games as a kind of mini-season.

One new concept was the youth sports night, which is part of Grandfield’s plan to build the connection between youth and high school basketball teams, along with inviting coaches to high school practices.

“We just want to get the youth as involved as much as we can because they’re the future of the school,” Grandfield said.

DYAA Board of Directors member Harvey Berube said that a highlight for the young athletes was getting to high five the high school players as they came onto the court, along with getting in some time on the court themselves during halftime.

Tom Quinn and Reid Davis, two DYAA athletes, said they enjoyed watching the game and getting to hang out with teammates.

“It was cool to be with your friends,” Quinn said.