Dallas Teen Etching Her Name in World of Lacrosse

Jamyria Woods is focused on her future with lacrosse.

Image: © 2020 Miss Ari Photography

Society loves to put limits on black girls. Dance, but not like that. Dress cute, but not too seductively. Sing, but make sure you don’t sound like anyone else. Stand out in basketball, or maybe softball – but don’t expect too much out of the “other sports.”

Other sports, you say?

South Dallas has produced academic talents, artistic talents and athletic talents for decades on top of decades. Anything the youth can be taught, the youth can master. It should come as no surprise that one of Dallas’ brightest young academicians has developed a real affinity for the game of lacrosse.

Enter Jamyria Woods, a cool, confident, well-spoken and ever-so-talented high school junior. 

Sixteen-year-old Woods excels in every fashion at Dallas’ Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School. According to Woods, the all girl campus boasts strict curriculum and has high expectations of its young scholars.

“The work is challenging and they do push us hard,” says Woods of her school. “But I’ve always appreciated a good challenge.”

Born and raised in Dallas, Woods has always thrived academically in area schools, so when she took an early interest in track and field – her parents definitely didn’t object.

“My parents have never had to remind me to make school a priority,” Woods insists.

The bubbly teenager has a real love for math and is quick to share of her adoration for Pre-Calculus. The desire to be active in sports was never curtailed by attending Irma Rangel, a campus that doesn’t offer sports. The unique Dallas campus instead introduced Woods to club lacrosse.

“I just decided to go to a practice back in sixth grade,” she smiles. “It just kind of stuck.”

Woods is now gaining notoriety in a sport she never knew she needed in life. Lacrosse has made her stronger, more aware and definitely much faster. The sport has introduced her to a new dynamic of life and she wouldn’t trade the freedom the sport brings for anything.

“Track was such a one man sport,” recalls Woods. “I wanted something where I could experience a team atmosphere.”

A team is exactly what Woods got – twice in fact, because she didn’t stop with club play. Bridge Lacrosse, a sports-based youth development nonprofit organization found Woods in the 6th grade.

With its most authentic and transparent purpose, the program is intended to advance beyond the stigma of lacrosse not being a black girl sport. Woods, in her fitted uniform, goggles, bright eyes and carefree smile, adorned in braces – adds the perfect hint of melanin to the sport.

Woods plays for Grit Lacrosse, a select travel lacrosse team. Her involvement with the travel team affords her opportunities to travel the country, displaying her ever-growing skill and ability in the sport. During her most recent trip to Denver, Woods did an Instagram takeover for the Bridge Lacrosse Instagram page.

It is exactly how it sounds – for an extended weekend, Woods was “all things Lacrosse” for the world to see on social media. She was able to highlight her many great plays, her stops and the two goals she scored.

“That experience was so much fun,” says Woods. “It was my first trip to Denver and we went 2-2.”

For the travel lacrosse team, Woods is the only black player. For maybe five minutes of the first year it bothered her to be the only black player.

“Trying to travel and get to know wealthy, white players was not the easiest transition,” she admits. “Sometimes I felt like they knew I was the scholarship kid. I wondered if they knew I didn’t have the $4,000 to pay for the experience.”

Woods credits both her coaches and her teammates for making those few moments of uneasiness remain few in number. The team chemistry is what she credits for making her fall in love with lacrosse over and over.

Affectionately known as a middie or a midfielder, Woods runs the entire 50-minute game, lacrosse stick in hand. And she loves it. In fact, her entire face lights up when asked to describe the grit of lacrosse.

“I usually have a few war wounds on my arms,” she laughs, looking down at her biceps. “I love the toughness of the game, the running and the fact that I’m constantly on the move in an attempt to score goals.”

Being in good condition and strong playing shape are not optional. Woods finds herself in the gym, lifting weights multiple days per week and she even conditions with teammates on off days. 

For Woods and her teammates, the objective of the lacrosse trips is to not only enhance their skills, but to also get game film for colleges.

As can be imagined, the recruiting process for college is rather tough right now due to the pandemic. Many colleges and institutions want students to commit to college right now and without true campus visits or face-to-face meetings with coaching staffs. Woods is a junior, but she has legitimate concerns about the recruiting process for the next year or so.

“I’ve drawn interest from schools,” says Woods. “I’m excited to see what opportunities are presented to me.”  

The official lacrosse season isn’t until spring, which is why Woods makes certain to stay active with both teams. For the serious lacrosse player, playing for multiple teams is normal.

Woods realizes that lacrosse is not currently to the southern states what basketball and football are, but she is determined to fulfill her dreams even if that means traveling outside of Texas for college. She would love to play Division One Lacrosse, but such doesn’t currently exist in Texas. Still, Woods knows that she’s going to college and would love to major in engineering. 

“Numbers make more sense than words,” she jokes. “I can see myself earning my degree in engineering on one of the coasts, excelling in lacrosse there and then returning to my family here in Dallas.”

Professional lacrosse is not among the higher paid sports in America, especially for women – but that won’t deter Woods from going as far as she can, gratefully with the sport. Regardless of where life and lacrosse take her, Woods wants to be a constant example to children in her community that there are truly no limits for them. She insists that she’d like to return as a Bridge Lacrosse coach after completing her studies.

“I wish I could climb on top of a building and scream out to my people that people who look like us can also do this.”