- December 4, 2025
-
-
Loading
Loading
Sean Laureano is a numbers guy, which means he knows time is of the essence if he wants to play lacrosse in the Olympics.
The East County resident and Cardinal Mooney Catholic High graduate is one of the oldest members of the Puerto Rico men’s lacrosse team that will travel to South Korea to compete in the 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship Aug. 15-24.
Laureano is currently a rising junior at Rollins College in Winter Park, majoring in business and minoring in data analytics. He has been working an internship this summer with S-One — an imaging, design and printing company in Sarasota.
He is making his case to be sent to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Laureano was 18 when the International Olympic Committee announced in October 2023 that lacrosse would return as a medal sport for the first time since 1908.
By 2028, he will have nearly a decade of experience with the Puerto Rican lacrosse team and a full four years of lacrosse at Rollins.
Even if a spot on the Puerto Rican Olympic team doesn’t materialize, Laureano already has had the opportunity to travel to new places, embrace his heritage, and play his favorite sport at the collegiate level.
Laureano was born in Orlando and wanted to play baseball until his older brother, Christian Laureano, started playing lacrosse when Sean was in the first grade.
Sean tagged along with Christian, started playing himself, and hasn’t stopped playing since.
It was during eighth grade in 2019 when Laureano heard of a tryout for Puerto Rico’s Men’s U21 Lacrosse team being held at Premier Sports Campus.
After he made the team, he has traveled to destinations such as Indianapolis for the USA Lacrosse Experience and to Limerick, Ireland for the 2022 World Lacrosse U21 Men’s Championship.
In June, Laureano went on a trip to Puerto Rico, organized by his team, to experience the heritage given to him by his father, Jason Laureano.
While in Puerto Rico, Laureano tried local cuisine such as alcapurrias — meat inside a fried dough and plantain shell — and bacailito — codfish fried into a pancake shape.
He toured Ponce, Puerto Rico and met the mayor, Malrese Sifre, before practicing and playing in front of the locals.
Laureano also spent this summer taking a Spanish course to further immerse himself in the culture — something that could be an advantage if he makes the Olympic team.
While watching the Czech Republic communicating in Czech at the 2022 Men’s U21 Championship in Ireland, he saw how the players could strategize during the match, and also get away with “talking a little bit of trash.”
Laureano will turn 21 in December, which means his time on Puerto Rico’s Men’s U20 lacrosse team is coming to an end following his trip to South Korea.
As much as he hopes to further his position to make the Olympic roster, he said he wants Puerto Rico to finish in the top six, or even medal, after finishing eighth at the 2022 U21 Championship.
“First and foremost, it’s about being a leader to that team,” Laureano said. “I’m now one of the oldest after being the youngest, so I have to show I can step up in that moment and be that guy, if I need to, take control of the game or put someone in the right spot. In terms of play, it’s just not being too selfish and not forcing things, and making the right play.”
He said that USA and Canada are the two undisputed top lacrosse teams, but third place could be up for grabs between Japan, Australia, Great Britain and Puerto Rico.
His approach to the game has come down to numbers.
He monitors his cardio and weightlifting numbers to stay in shape during the season, and his shooting. He said he needs to be making at least 25% of his shots to be considered good, but is aiming for at least 30%.
Sometimes the numbers take a backseat, like when he occasionally pulls up lacrosse highlights in class.
And sometimes the numbers get lost in the shuffle when the match begins.
“I like the fast-paced aspect of the game, so I think when it’s chaotic and unorganized, that’s where I thrive,” Laureano said. “I’d describe myself more as a facilitator. Someone who’s dodging to get someone else open or passing to someone to score, but I can definitely take it to the rack if I need to.”
