Bethesda lacrosse coach breaking down racial barriers surrounding sport

Built Jones Tough shares lacrosse across the DMV

Fox 5's Chad Ricardo joins lacrosse coach Ryan Jones for practice in Bethesda.

BETHESDA, Md. - Lacrosse is a historically white sport, but that hasn’t stopped African American coach Ryan Jones from leaving his mark on and off the field.

Jones, a Prince George’s County native, took up lacrosse as a child to emulate his idol, former NFL running back Jim Brown. Growing up, Jones lacked the financial resources to afford coaching, so he taught himself to play the game using the wall at a local basketball court.

Today, he coaches kids on the same court where he taught himself to play years ago.

"This court is everything," Jones told FOX 5’s Chad Ricardo during an interview. "This wall taught me everything I needed to know."

Jones offers private lessons to local kids as a part of his Built Jones Tough lacrosse program. Jones coaches players of all ages, from kindergarten to college, and he pushes each of his players to their limits regardless of age.

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"We would show up sleet, rain, snow [and] 100-degree weather," Alyssa Reich, the mother of a six-year-old who trains with Jones, said. "I think that shows you, as parents and as kids, that perfecting something takes a lot of work."

As a coach, Jones aims to bring lacrosse to a more diverse player base. Jones has played an integral role in elevating lacrosse programs at HBCUs, helping to build lacrosse programs at Howard University, Bowie State and Morehouse College, where he is currently the head coach.

At Morehouse, Jones started the Built Jones Tough College Fund, which helps at-risk youth attend college and aids coaches in achieving their educational goals.

Jones is currently taking classes at Montgomery College, where he has a 4.0 GPA. He hopes to use his degree in kinesiology and exercise science to be able to coach at the collegiate level in Maryland.

"He will do anything, at any risk or any length to get to his goal," William Scipio, one of Jones current players at Morehouse said. "Not only for himself, but for the program, the kids and just the sport in general."