BGSU volleyball head coach Danijela Tomic will spend Tuesday coaching the Falcons in a rivalry game against Toledo at the Stroh Center, but her mind will also be on the election.
Tomic was one of two coaches in the country to receive the 2023 Collegiate Athletic Coach award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge nationwide initiative to have student voter participation on college campuses increase.
While Tomic won’t be able to volunteer as a poll worker this year as she did in 2020 and during the midterm elections in 2022, she’s still encouraging her team and the BGSU community to vote and be informed about current important issues.
“It is a privilege and a right that I don’t take lightly. I was born and raised in a country that had a different political system,” said Tomic, who is from Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I know the fragility of democracy, and if people are not involved and vigilant, we can lose the rights that we have.”
Tomic’s passion for democracy is something she hopes to instill in her players.
“After the first time I served as a poll worker, I told all of our players, ‘Please, if you have a chance, sign up and do this, and you will feel like you are doing good work and will see the bipartisanship in action,’“ Tomic said.
Tomic’s influence goes directly to her volleyball team, including defensive specialist graduate student Lindsey LaPinta.
“I think that to be able to have a say in the way that our country is run is a privilege, and everyone should exercise their right to vote, every vote counts,“ said LaPinta.
Tomic said she believes there is a particular importance of voting as a woman.
“As a woman living in this country where rights are being taken away from us, it is my duty and responsibility to cast my ballot and hopefully be part of a positive change,“ said Tomic. “There are so many that came before us to fight for our rights, and I think we owe them to go in and vote.”
LaPinta says it’s also important for student-athletes to use their platform to encourage the public to vote.
“I think athletes on campus have a huge influence, whether you are aware of it or not. I think a lot of people look at what you do. I think it is really important to use the platform that we have to encourage people to get out and vote,“ said LaPinta. “I remember my freshman year, our volleyball team stood outside of the library and would ask people if they were registered to vote. I think anyway that we can influence others around us, it’s our responsibility to do so.“
Tomic also encouraged her players to use their platform to inform the public about voting.
“I think it’s an opportunity for them to be the leaders and be participants in democracy. Democracy does not survive without citizens being fully engaged,“ she said.
With only 67% of Americans voting in 2020, many believe their vote does not matter.
“I think knowing that your vote matters is extremely important because you do have a say, and to think that you don’t is an excuse not to exercise your right to vote,“ LaPinta said.
As the Falcons season continues, the message remains clear. Just as every point counts on the court, every vote matters in shaping the future.
