Breaking barriers on lacrosse fields and across the globe
Growing up in New Hampshire, Cristina Vélez ’12 never imagined she would one day be leading the men’s senior national lacrosse team in Brazil as its first head coach. But that was exactly her role at the Pan-American Lacrosse Association (PALA) Sixes Cup in Kingston, Jamaica, where the Brazil team made its November 2023 debut and won its first competitive match.
“Being a part of this team and competition was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life,” says the Skidmore College alumna, who is making history as the first woman to head a men’s national team in an international lacrosse competition. “To coach these young players and see them grow as athletes and as people in such a short amount of time is truly moving.”
The lacrosse team emerged out of , a federation that Vélez cofounded in 2022 to introduce lacrosse to a broader audience in Brazil and to enhance the sport's international growth. Lacrosse is one of five new sports that have been added to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Vélez has continued to influence the sport, attending the Brazilian Olympic Committee Expo this fall and discussing the federation’s future.
Vélez has been playing lacrosse since middle school and played a season of fall ball (off-season lacrosse training) at Skidmore, where she majored in health and exercise science (now health and human physiological sciences).
Some of her most impactful experiences on campus were in ’ with the sports medicine staff. As a student employee, she worked alongside athletic trainers, medical staff, and coaches across different teams that included men’s soccer, hockey, and lacrosse. She learned about different types of sports injuries and also built relationships with many of the student-athletes.
“It was especially exciting to serve as a first responder at various practices, wrapping ankles and wrists, and assisting with rehabilitation exercises as well,” says Vélez, who initially thought about a career in physical therapy or following a pre-med track.
But the Skidmore in Spain study-abroad program in her junior year would change her focus and eventually lead her back to the sport that she has since built her life and career around. Through the study abroad program, Vélez reconnected with her Spanish roots on her father’s side of the family. Shortly after graduation, she was inspired by Susan Sánchez Casal, director of the Skidmore in Spain program, to return to Madrid for a year to teach English as a second language. Vélez, who has dual citizenship in the United States and Spain, has lived in Madrid ever since.
While teaching, Vélez began playing for the Madrid Lacrosse club before making her way to the Spanish national team to compete in European championships. Following her successes, she was offered a position with Spain Lacrosse as its first paid director of development. Passionate about introducing the sport to kids, she established (Lacrosse for Everyone), a youth sports initiative that provides opportunity for boys and girls to play lacrosse. In partnership with Skidmore in Spain, she also developed internship opportunities for students to experience working with youth in the sport during their semester abroad.
“Cristina has been a trailblazer in Madrid, and now worldwide,” Casal says. “My team and I are really excited about her work and what she does next.”
World Lacrosse a few years later recruited Vélez as a sports development manager. In this position, she oversaw global grants programs and managed development in European regions and the Americas, launching lacrosse in new countries and supporting existing programs. That’s when she first connected with Brazil, traveling there to help establish the country's lacrosse program by working with local players and coaches to grow the sport from the ground up.
Cristina Velez ’12 tells the story of how she became head coach of the Brazil men's national lacrosse team in a video interview on Brazil Lacrosse's YouTube channel.
“I just fell in love with the people and the culture, and seeing the girls especially get so inspired to play in a country that doesn't have many opportunities for girls in particular in sports — it was incredibly rewarding,” she says. “There’s also something really special about the youth there. They are competitive, talented, and respectful, and I thought, ‘Wow, there is really some potential here!’”
When the opportunity arose for Brazil to field a men's team for the PALA Sixes Cup, Vélez helped coordinate the process, but as the tournament approached, the team still needed a coach. And, it was clear that the team and Brazil Lacrosse Board of Directors wanted her for the job.
“When I told the players I would be their coach, they just lost their minds with excitement,” Vélez says. “When you plant a seed like that, you become so invested in seeing it grow, and I felt humbled, grateful, and genuinely excited for all of us.”
“I want them to be able to live out their dreams, the same way I have been able to do,” she adds. “It’s amazing and also unexpected the way this sport has somehow come full circle in my life and has given me so much fulfillment and possibility.”