"Bulls' ball," one of the referees yells.

Bleka claps his hands and high-fives a teammate: "Yes!"

Minutes later, the 14-year-old from Chicago takes a push from behind from a member of the Rolling Meadows-based Spokebenders.

He misses his foul shots but quickly turns and pushes himself down court, his arms pumping. Under the basket, Bleka swings the chair around sharply. He and his fellow defender look up to face the approaching player, eyes trained on the ball.

People can try to tell Bleka and the rest of the players at the Bulls' tournament in Addison Saturday that wheelchair basketball isn't a real sport.

But they know better. Next month in Peoria, they'll get to prove it to the entire state.

On March 12 and 13, Illinois will be the first state in the country to host a high school wheelchair basketball tournament.

Supporters say it's appropriate for Illinois to take the lead. At 13, Illinois has more junior wheelchair basketball teams, made up of players with varying degrees of disability, than any other state.

Among the teams are the Spokebenders - sponsored by the Northwest Special Recreation Association - and the Junior Wheelchair Bulls, who expect to qualify for this year's national juniors tournament in Baltimore.

The Windy City Warriors, sponsored by the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association, will send its varsity team to its national tournament in Philadelphia as well as the Peoria tournament. The Wave, the team from Lake Forest-based Great Lakes Adaptive Sports, will be in Peoria, too. Other teams will likely come from Rockford, Chicago and St. Louis.

The state tournament - held at the same time and in the same stadium as the boy's Class A March Madness - should expose even more people to the game, players say, and bring it even more credibility.

"It will make a difference in people's lives to see how determined these players are and how much we can do," said Heather Voigts, a 16-year-old from Lombard in her third season with the Bulls, the team sponsored by the North East DuPage Special Recreation Association, or NEDSRA.

The University of Illinois, which has men's and women's wheelchair basketball teams, began promoting the sport among younger players about five years ago.

The university soon teamed with the Illinois High School Association, the organization that sanctions high school sports in the state, to offer clinics throughout Illinois.

NEDSRA has promoted the game for the past 14 years through an annual "Day for Kids." There, young people see a game and meet players from the Chicago Wheelchair Bulls, the adult team affiliated with the Chicago Bulls.

The height of the basket in wheelchair basketball is the same as the traditional game. So, is the athleticism involved, Junior Bulls coach Jodie Swift said.

"You're sitting down trying to shoot and pushing yourself around the court," Swift said. "They have to rely on strong upper bodies."

Mike Crawford, a 16-year-old from Villa Park, has played for the Bulls for seven years. He also plays wheelchair rugby.

He's earned the nickname "Biceps" - a testament to the strength he needs to excel at both sports.

But the change has been more than physical, Crawford's mother, Sue Pearce, said.

"Kids always make fun of kids in wheelchairs," Pearce said. "But as soon as they see the game, they want to get in a chair and play. Our kids think that's great. Somebody wants to be like them."

IHSA bylaws prevent it from sanctioning activities - essentially overseeing play, helping provide officials and reimbursing some costs of state tournaments - by organizations other than high schools.

Because few schools have enough students to field a wheelchair basketball team, it's unlikely the sport will be sanctioned anytime soon, said Dave Gannaway, an IHSA assistant director.

But the tournament may mean more to the sport than sanctioning, Gannaway said.

Six teams will compete on two courts inside an exhibit hall that draws "huge crowds" going to and from the boy's tournament, Gannaway said. The final game will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, and the winners will go home with medals.

It's possible, Gannaway said, that the number of players eventually could soar to the point that the sport could be officially sanctioned, just like boy's and girl's basketball and other sports ranging from softball to track and field and bowling.

"We've come a long way already," he said. "Who knows where it could go?"