FIU's Coach Danijela Tomic - Part 3 of 3

In the last part of the interview we go over next years team, recruiting and Coach Tomic opens up a bit about her life in Miami.

SFVR: How’s Recruiting going?
TOMIC: Recruiting is going well. My assistants and I will be going to many tournaments here in FL and out of state. We will continue recruiting in Puerto Rico because there are many great players there, and we love our two Puerto Ricans whom we have on the team now.

SFVR: Will your team take part in Beach Volleyball activities during the summer?
TOMIC: We are planning to do some beach volleyball this spring, but it still depends of our school and competition schedule if we will be able to do it. We will for sure do some spring training on SOBE.

SFVR: With Yarimar Rosa a senior and so much talent on the team, what are the expectations for next year?
TOMIC: The expectations for this season are high. Realistically, we should be better than this past season because we have all of our starters back with a year of experience under their belts. Our team understands this, and they have already started working hard in the weight room, and next week we start our individual volleyball practices to have an even better season this year.

SFVR: As you know there are many talented players in South Florida. What advice can you give a player that wants to pursue a collegiate career?
TOMIC: My advice would be to work hard, play volleyball all year long (beach and indoor), watch college, Jr. college games, and learn from better players. Also, they should start the recruiting process early, and not wait till their senior year to send college coaches their DVD and schedule.

SFVR: At what age should they register with the NCAA Clearinghouse?
TOMIC: My advice would be to register by their junior year.

SFVR: What do college coaches look for in prospects?
TOMIC: Every coach is different, so I will say what I look for in a prospect. Besides obvious physical things (height, jump, etc.), I look for somebody who has passion for the game, and who won’t be satisfied and contempt by just receiving an athletic scholarship. Academics is very important to me, so we recruit students with high GPA. They have to be unselfish, and know how to work hard. We also look for prospects who like diversity because that’s what our university and our team represent.

SFVR: What can high school and club coaches do to help promote players?
TOMIC: The best thing that high-school coaches and club coaches can do to help promote players is to email us their schedule, and send us unedited game DVD.

A little about you:
SFVR: Have you gotten used to living in South Florida?
TOMIC: Yes, Miami is my home now, and I love living here. I love the weather, the ocean and beaches, and the diversity that Miami has.

SFVR: What is your favorite South Florida Restaurant?
TOMIC: Since I am vegan, my restaurant choices are limited. I love going to the Farmer’s Market in Coconut Grove which is open every Saturday. Also, there is a new restaurant called “Om Garden” which I really like.

SFVR: Will you attend the AVP when it comes to Miami?
TOMIC: I plan to attend the AVP because it’s a lot of fun, and you can see the best players in the world right here in Miami. I also encourage all of my players to attend it, so they can learn.


We hope you've enjoyed getting to know Coach Tomic. We feel very confident that next season will be very special at FIU with a strong team and a great coach. We hope to see you at next years games supporting the Golden Panthers.