Rockford Park District, IL – Lamont Jones, General Manager
Lamont grew up on the west side of Rockford, where the community center was his lifeline. Now, he leads Rockford Park District’s youth sports programs with the same goal: access for every kid.
“If it were not for the Rockford Park District, I would not be where I am in life.”
He launched NFL FLAG with RCX Sports and grew from 163 kids in year one to hundreds more. Early on, he built a relationship with the Chicago Bears that turned games into big-league experiences.
“We’ve taken two bus loads of kids to Bears training camp. This Sunday, two middle school girls flag teams will be the halftime entertainment at Soldier Field.”
When parents wanted more opportunities for girls, Lamont added girls flag football—now a sanctioned middle school sport with 116 girls registered before the season even started.
He’s also expanded into Jr. NBA, Jr. WNBA, and USTA Youth Tennis, giving kids access to camps, autograph dinners, and WNBA player visits.
“Relationships, branding, uniforms, support—we get all kinds of things for coaches so they can do what they do best. RCX makes it possible to scale without waste.”
For Lamont, the value is in what these programs unlock for his community.
“None of this stuff can get done without relationships. The Chicago Bears trust what we do here. RCX gives us the backing to make those moments happen.”
