Grace Shapiro Weaver ’16: Full Circle Moments

When Grace Shapiro walks onto the field as an Aim Field Hockey coach, she can’t help but smile. The turf feels familiar — the laughter, the stick taps, the rush of energy before a game. This is where it all began.

“I started playing for Aim in seventh grade and played through high school,” Grace said. “I carried on with my career at Hendrix College for three years. And, I have been helping coach Aim for 4 years now.”

Looking back, she shared that it’s funny to think that she didn’t love field hockey right away.

“I didn’t like the sport my first season,” she said. “My parents made me play again in 8th grade and something clicked for me, and I started to understand the game more. After that middle school season is when I tried out for Aim and from there, the rest was history. I fell in love with the game, and when I played, everything else that was stressful in life just faded away.”

That feeling never left her. After college, Grace returned to St. Louis and began coaching at Whitfield, where she once played. Eventually, her journey came full circle when she joined Aim’s coaching staff — the very same program that shaped her as a young athlete.

“It is so rewarding when you see them have the same love for the sport that we do as coaches,” she said. “It’s an added bonus that I get to coach for Aim, the same club I played for when I was their age.”

For Grace, coaching isn’t just about skill development. It’s also about passing on the lessons that shaped her both on and off the field.

“Aim taught me to have purpose behind everything I do,” she said. “Lauren always reminded us that when playing every move matters. You always want to think about what you are doing ahead of time and make sure it is going to be something that will help you and your team to move forward. I know that is in game terms, but it taught me in life to always have purpose behind my actions.”

That sense of purpose fuels her passion as a coach today. She loves seeing how much athletes want to improve and the joy that comes with it.

“Every time, without fail, before practice this past Aim season, the girls would get there early to pass, shoot, play games, air dribble — whatever they could do,” she said. “It’s so rewarding to see that drive and joy.”

The Aim community has given Grace much more than a sport — it’s given her lifelong friendships and a sense of belonging. It even brought her one of her best friends who was a bridesmaid in her wedding.

Now married and living in St. Louis with her husband and three kittens, Grace balances her full-time role as a procurement specialist with her time on the field — where her Aim story continues.

“I’m proud to be an Aim alum because it’s the best field hockey program in St. Louis,” she said. “Aim teaches athletes to be strong, confident and to test their limits. I couldn’t be happier to represent the club that gave me so much.”