An adaptive sports tournament is coming to Victoria this weekend.

The eighth annual Crossroads Wheelchair Softball Classic, will a two-day exhibition tournament, is set to begin Saturday, July 12. The games will be played at Victoria’s Challenged Athletes Dream Complex at 3105 North Vine Street.

Five teams are scheduled to compete in the event with 10 games to be played on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. Three more are schedule for Sunday.

The featured teams will include the San Antonio Straps, the Deep South Hurricanes of Mississippi, the Pasadena Colt 45s, the Tulsa Twisters of Oklahoma, and the San Antonio Parasport. The Hurricanes and Twisters are defending World Series champions in their respective divisions.

All five teams compete under the National Wheelchair Softball Association, a governing body similar to the NCAA.

Each team has a roster composed of 12-15 adults. The games are co-ed, scheduled for seven innings, and will be played under Amateur Softball Association rules.

Spectators will be able to attend the tournament free of charge. The event was organized by Victoria Bad News Chairs Adaptive Sports Team, a 501 ©(3) non-profit organization. Danny Camacho, a Goliad graduate, is the founder of Bad News Chairs.

Camacho became interested in adaptive sports because he was paralyzed at the age of 17 after an auto accident in 1997. A former high school football player, Camacho sought ways to stay physically active after the accident.

He discovered competitive wheelchair basketball as an outlet for his athletic talents, and earned a partial scholarship to play collegiate wheelchair basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners. From there, adaptive sports became a lifelong passion for Camacho.

“Before the accident, I didn’t even know that adaptive sports existed. It’s not something I had ever thought about before,” Camacho said. “Now, I feel it is a passion that God has put me here for.”

Camacho, who will not be playing in the tournament, added that these softball games are known to be extremely competitive. Moving forward, the adaptive sports veteran said it is his goal to spread the word about this unique activity and get more people involved.

“Before and after the game, everybody is friends with each other. But during the actual game, these players are playing to win, for sure,” Camacho said. “Nobody is taking it easy out there. I want people in my situation to know there is something they can do besides sitting around and feeling sorry for themselves. This allows you to be a part of a team and improve your quality of life. I would love to see more youth get involved in adaptive sports.”

Robert Brewer is a sports reporter for the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at robert.brewer@vicad.com.