Senior lacrosse player Alejandro Castillo wasn’t expecting anything to come from a simple Instagram repost. But shortly after sharing a highlight from a Colombian lacrosse tournament, a message arrived that would open the door to representing the country on the international stage.
Castillo’s Colombian heritage made him eligible for the national program, and as the sport continues to grow internationally, the opportunity to represent the country became possible.
“I reposted Colombia going to the finals (of an international lacrosse tournament),” Castillo said. “I later on, got an Instagram DM from the lacrosse head coach at Seminole High School, as he actually plays on the Colombian team, and the team decided to invite me to play a tournament with them. After, I officially got called up.”
Historically, lacrosse has been dominated by North American programs, particularly in traditional hotbeds such as the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. But as the sport continues to expand globally, opportunities like Castillo’s are becoming more attainable, allowing players from emerging regions and nontraditional backgrounds to compete on international stages.
“A lot of the Colombian players are from South Florida as well as from the DMV area and actually from Colombia as well,” senior Olliver Polsenelli said. “The culture of lacrosse within Latin America has allowed the sport to diffuse and the program to grow.”
Castillo’s leadership and rapid development have helped him stand out not only within Trinity’s program but across Central Florida’s lacrosse scene — recognition that eventually opened the door to the international opportunity. His leadership presence also extends far beyond the field. According to TPS head lacrosse coach Travis Sanders, his voice sets the tone for the entire roster.
“He’s probably the main voice of getting guys to do the extra work, showing up early, staying late and getting some extra reps in,” Sanders said. “He’s the one guy who kind of helps rally the boys. He’s really found his voice as a leader.”
Unlike many athletes in specialized sports, Castillo did not fully commit to lacrosse until high school. By his junior year, he had become a year-round club athlete, earned a starting role as a Faceoff-Stay-On specialist on Trinity lacrosse and was voted team captain for the past two years.
“In lacrosse, we have a jersey that we hand down to someone in our team who most embodies what it means to be a Trinity Prep lacrosse player, and that’s number 24,” Sanders said. “It came from John Michael Night, which is a really special thing. He honors what Night represented and carries out a true position of leadership.”
Playing for Colombia and growing within the Trinity lacrosse community has given Castillo the confidence to prove he can compete at the highest level of international lacrosse, while also shaping his college recruitment process and his goals for the spring season at Trinity.
“(The opportunity) has given (Castillo) the confidence that he can play the next level,” Sanders said. “But I think when he started getting a little more serious about the Colombian team, I saw his drive to be a better lacrosse player overall. And so he started doing more things like playing offense, playing a little bit more defense, and playing beyond just that face-off position…”
Beyond competition, the opportunity has also given Castillo the chance to build a community with other players of Colombian descent who share a passion for the sport.
“For my specific situation, I wasn’t looking for this, but the chips just fell that way,” Castillo said. “(Yet) from day one, the moment I met a lot of these guys, it’s a very close-knit group, very much so because a lot of them either come from Colombian roots or were born in Colombia. They also now play a sport that is not, and was not, and probably will not be very popular in our home country, so everyone knows everyone.”
For players on the team, representing Colombia is a responsibility carried with pride, treating every appearance as a reflection of their heritage and the country they call home.
“(Representing my country) has been huge for me because,” Castillo said. “Even at any level, representing one of the places where you’re from is just, there’s so much pride within that. The ability to wear, you know, the Colombian flag on my back and have my name on that jersey was really, really, really prideful for me.”
