Monica Negrón never expected to find herself back on a lacrosse field after five grueling knee surgeries. Yet what she thought was the end of her playing days turned into the beginning of something far more significant.
Now a trailblazer for Puerto Rican women's lacrosse and a leader on the Louisville campus, Negrón has merged her passion for sport and culture, creating opportunities for others to follow in her footsteps.
After a stellar career at Louisville, earning accolades such as All-American and Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Negrón assumed her time on the field was over. Her knees seemed to have put an end to her athletic journey. But in 2018, a conversation with her father sparked a new chapter in her lacrosse career.
"My dad found Puerto Rico lacrosse," recalled Negrón, whose parents were high school sweethearts in Puerto Rico before moving to the U.S. "He's like, 'Puerto Rico has lacrosse.' And I go, 'Dad, no, they don't.'"
Negrón's disbelief stemmed from her own experience — throughout her playing career, she was often the only Latina on the field. But when she discovered that Puerto Rico did, in fact, have a growing lacrosse presence, she decided to give the sport another shot. After sending an email to the national team, filled with her playing accolades, she was welcomed back into the sport.
"I hadn't had the itch to play for years, but then I got it," she said. "And I'm so glad I did."
Negrón quickly became a cornerstone of Puerto Rico's senior women's national lacrosse team, eventually captaining the squad during its impressive run at the 2022 World Championships, where it finished 11th after beating New Zealand. For Negrón, the tournament was not only a high point in Puerto Rican lacrosse history but also a personal triumph: She ended her playing career on her own terms, injury-free.
Her love for the game, however, didn't fade when she stepped off the field. It evolved into coaching and leadership. Negrón offered to assist Puerto Rico's U20 national team, which quickly led to her becoming an assistant coach. This new role allowed her to integrate another passion: connecting players with their Puerto Rican heritage through cultural experiences.
"Every single one of our U20 events had a cultural component," Negrón said. "That, for me, was super important."
Negrón ensured that team members' connection to their roots was as strong as their skills on the field through such activities as visiting the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago, celebrating Three Kings Day and participating in traditional salsa and merengue lessons.
This intersection of lacrosse and culture aligned with her full-time role as the head of Hispanic, Latinx and Indigenous initiatives at the University of Louisville Cultural Center.
In addition to her work at the university, Negrón is also the director and owner of the Louisville-based Cardinal Elite Lacrosse Academy, which offers programs for players 5 to 22. She is also the head coach for varsity women's lacrosse at Mercy Academy, where she continues to nurture the next generation of lacrosse players.
"Having been a two-time UofL alum and getting to work with the Louisville Hispanic/Latinx community is something I hold really close to my heart," said Negrón, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology and master's degree in sport administration from Louisville. "In my role, I get to help students embrace their (Latin heritage) and help foster a sense of belonging while they go through their own personal journeys."
She finds fulfillment in supporting students as they navigate their identities, just as she did during her lacrosse career. Negrón brings the same energy to her work as she does to her sport, using her platform to advocate for diversity and inclusion in lacrosse.
Since 2012, the number of Hispanic/Latino women's lacrosse players has more than tripled from 170 to 513 in 2022, according to NCAA demographics data. However, Hispanic/Latino athletes still represent only 3.8% of all women's lacrosse players, and there are only 10 Hispanic/Latino coaches in the sport at the collegiate level.
"I know that there's not that representation, and I think for me, that's another reason why I want to coach," Negrón said.
Negrón is deeply involved in the development of lacrosse in Puerto Rico, working to grow the sport at the youth level. The national team's fifth-place finish this year at the under-20 World Lacrosse Championships in Hong Kong was especially meaningful for her as an assistant coach.
"I think I cried after that game when we beat England for fifth place," Negrón said. "To know that little girls will see a bunch of Black and brown girls finish top five in the world in lacrosse — that's just so amazing."
Looking ahead, Negrón's eyes are set on helping Puerto Rico make it to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. But for her, the real goal is ensuring that more minority children have access to the sport.
"The main goal is for us to be able to have a bunch of more Black and brown kids playing lacrosse," Negrón said, "to have a bunch of little Puerto Ricans being like, 'Mommy, I want to be like her. I want to be able to go play college and be able to get an education. I want to be able to represent our island.'"
For Negrón, her journey is about more than just winning games. It's about creating a future where young athletes can fully embrace both their heritage and their potential.
"I was born in a family where I knew I was Puerto Rican from day one," she said. "But I don't think I had ever been around so many people that were like me. Puerto Rico lacrosse gave me another passion for the sport."
Now, as the head coach of Puerto Rico's senior women's national team, Negrón is focused on ensuring that young players in Puerto Rico and across Latin America see themselves reflected in lacrosse. She's also working to break down financial barriers, making the sport more accessible to marginalized communities.
"Getting to feel like you are supported and celebrated allows you to flourish," she said. "That's what makes my job at UofL, and even getting to see Puerto Rico Lacrosse grow, mean so much to me. Being there to support young Latinx individuals in all facets of their lives makes my work so cool, because when I was their age, there wasn't really anyone around me doing the work."
