Student Athlete of the Week: Abi Shim
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (CBS19 Sports) -- When a university like UVA is in your backyard with one of the strongest field hockey programs in the country, it was easy for Abi Shim to dream of becoming a Cavalier one day.
"UVA was always the school I wanted to go to, my dad went there, my uncle went there, obviously my sister is there," said St. Anne's-Belfield senior Abi Shim. "It's kinda been a tradition in the family."
Her sister Lizzy is on Virginia's field hockey roster, motivating Abi to get into the sport to start.
"I always kinda looked up to her as a role model, seeing her play I decided I always wanted to try it too. After getting into the game, I just fell in love with it and decided to keep going," said Shim.
"She's really taught me a lot about field hockey, she's coached me many times and having individuals with her so I can learn more from her experience and her field hockey knowledge."
Starting her high school career at Covenant, she wanted a change and was set up to go to a boarding school in London for a year. Those plans changed when the pandemic heightened and she then enrolled at STAB.
"Abi joined our squad in August so really I've only known her for the last few months," said St. Anne's-Belfield field hockey coach Tara Harrington. "She's brought a level of play and intensity to our team that's really helped all of us elevate our game. She's passionate about the sport of field hockey, she absolutely loves playing, and that too is contagious."
It didn't take Abi to assimilate into her new school and team as a senior, even named a captain for the Saints.
"The field hockey team was truly so welcoming and so loving toward me so I'm really lucky I've gotten to have an experience with them," said Shim.
"Only being a part of our team for a few weeks when we voted for captains and having her teammates select her as one of the leaders, I think speaks volumes of how she carries herself and how she interacts with her peers," said Harrington.
She began as a defender but has developed in the attacking game, bringing intensity and leadership across the field.
"I feel like every time she steps on the field hockey pitch, she's bringing her best self to the turf and she's encouraging her teammates around her to be their best selves and play their best game," said Harrington. "There's a confidence, there's a courage and Abi's got that."
"I'm never going to expect something from someone else that I wasn't willing to do myself, thats kinda my biggest thing with leading," said Shim.
If you look closely you can try to see UVA's turf field from the St. Anne's-Belfield campus: that's where Abi will be for the next four years when she joins the Cavaliers and making her own mark in their family tradition.
"When UVA reached out and expressed interest, I was obviously very excited and ready to work hard to be a player that would be on their radar," said Shim. "It feels really fulfilling because this is a goal that I've had for a really long time and knowing that the hard work I've put in over the years, the time and the effort is really paying off is just really fulfilling."