Newark resident Danny White doesn’t let a wheelchair keep him from being competitive.

“My kids know I’m still an athlete; Daddy’s still tough,” said White, who is competing in the 10th annual Columbus Collision wheelchair rugby tournament Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11.

The Ohio Buckeye Blitz wheelchair rugby team hosts the regional event in Columbus at the Big Run Athletic Complex on Clime Road. Teams from Pittsburgh, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky will compete with several Ohio teams.

“The sport itself is great,” White said.

He said wheelchair rugby helps him gain camaraderie with others who use wheelchairs, and the sport helps him stay in shape and relieve stress.

“It gives people with disabilities the competitive edge,” said White, who also plays wheelchair softball and participates in some track events.

“It’s a lot different than traditional rugby,” said Brett Harbage, who is organizing the tournament. “It’s pretty similar to basketball, with some hockey.”

According to quadrugby.com, wheelchair rugby, also known as quad rugby, is a game with complex strategies for playing offense and defense. It is played with a volleyball on a basketball-sized court with cones marking goal lines and a lined off “key” area of play. The object of the game is to score a goal by crossing the goal line with possession of the ball while the opposing team defends the goal.

Wheelchair rugby is a full-contact sport, but only between wheelchairs. Personal contact is not permitted. According to the website, actions such as slapping, hitting, punching, gouging of the eyes and biting are not permitted and penalties are enforced, usually by time in a penalty box.

Harbage said the tournament usually attracts volunteers to run shot clocks, penalty boxes and provide general help, but this year more volunteers are needed. He said he still needs about 15 volunteers for each day of the tournament. He said anyone wanting to volunteer should contact him at (937) 470-4578 or email bmharbage@hotmail.com.

“We usually have plenty of volunteers, but as of now, we need more,” he said.

Harbage said the Ohio Buckeye Blitz team has three players from Licking County, one from Plain City and a few from the Dayton area.

According to the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, wheelchair rugby was invented in 1977 in Winnipeg, Canada, by a group of quadriplegic athletes who were looking for an alternative to wheelchair basketball.

White said it’s a tough sport requiring plenty of training.

He said some of the Ohio Buckeye Blitz team players, particularly those who are students, train every day. But, job and family responsibilities limit him to practicing about once a week.

“It takes a lot of endurance,” he said.