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Grimaldi Winning On and Off Court 3-1-04 3/1/2004 by Lauren Santi Vanderbilt sophomore point guard Erica Grimaldi has some pretty impressive numbers to boast. And she happens to be quite a good basketball player, too. Thirty: The number of foster children Erica Grimaldi’s family has brought into its Kansas City home during the past 15 years. Seventeen: The number of children living simultaneously under the Grimaldi family’s roof at one time. Eighteen: The number of passengers that fills the family van to capacity. A remarkable triple-double unlikely to be matched in all of college basketball, this striking combination of numbers has a great deal to do with who Erica Grimaldi is, both on and off the court. The secondary education major credits her extraordinary family background with shaping her future goals, work ethic, appreciation of diversity, love for children and faith in God. “I definitely want to work with kids,” Grimaldi said of her post-graduate plans to teach English to high school students. “And coming from a multicultural family like I have, I can definitely see myself teaching in the inner city.” Children from all kinds of situations and backgrounds have found their way into the Grimaldis’ home over the years, including many with special needs. As a nurse, Grimaldi’s mother frequently encountered children with parents whose rights had been terminated for various reasons, and oftentimes, they wound up in foster care with the Grimaldis. Grimaldi, who loves to read and write, is the second oldest of eight children. Five of her brothers and sisters are adopted, weaving into her family fabric different colors and cultures. Biological siblings Ellen and Maureen share their sister’s athletic genes; Ellen plays soccer for Rockhurst University in Kansas City, while Maureen competes as a level-10 gymnast with hopes of a collegiate career in the sport. Maturity was something that naturally came at a young age for Grimaldi, and her dynamic upbringing taught her independence and self-reliance when “responsibility” was a word most of her peers couldn’t spell. “I’d been doing my own laundry since I was old enough to reach the detergent on top of the washing machine,” Grimaldi said with a laugh. “People would be like, ‘What are you doing on Friday night?’ Babysitting!” When Grimaldi was 10 years old, her family adopted a boy who had been born with HIV, and three years later, they lost him to AIDS. “That was the hardest thing, seeing somebody so innocent suffer like that,” Grimaldi said. “But he was so strong, and he never complained. It definitely taught me to never give up.” Grimaldi’s attitude toward life reflects the same kind of determination and perseverance she saw her little brother demonstrate. Even though she experienced some very difficult situations at a very young age, Grimaldi said she “wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Grimaldi felt like she had done a lot of growing up before she ever started playing basketball, but when she did in seventh grade, she fell in love with the game. The perspective she brought, however, sets her apart as much her talent did. Now, whether she’s shooting free throws after practice or counting the number of children in her extended family, Grimaldi always aims high and remembers that the most important points one can score are in the game of life. |
