There are many people helping Mercer run the Carolina East Volleyball program, such as Danny Callas, who is taking charge this year in place of Mercer when she is not able to run the club.

     Mercer’s jobs do not come easily. She gets around three hours of sleep every night depending on the work load she has that particular night. Mercer wakes up, goes to school until about 9:45 a.m. every day, then goes to work around 10 a.m. and gets off at 4 p.m. She then goes to her own volleyball practice from around 4 to 8 p.m.

     “Time management for me has helped me work through all of this," Mercer said. "When I was a kid, I had help from my parents… and they still help me now.”

     Before getting paid, Mercer volunteered for about 100 hours at the Volleyball Club. Later in the year, Mercer started working there part time.

      If someone was going into the position Mercer was in today, her advice would be to take a breath and relax; do not get too stressed out over it.

     “The girls’ attention [spans are] about three to five seconds, so you have to keep that in mind when coaching,” Mercer said.

     Seeing the kids’ joy on their faces really helps Mercer, and makes her feel like her work is worth it. She also loves getting texts from parents that their kid really enjoyed her lesson.

     “It really makes my job worth it to see the kids smile and have fun playing the sport that I love [too],” Mercer said.

     Mercer prefers to earn her money through hard labor and does not want it to be given to her. Working hard makes her feel much more valuable and proud of herself.

     “Helping all the girls learn beach volleyball helps me into thinking that I’m doing something positive for the community," Mercer said. "I also have a love for seeing these kids be so happy and to see that they are enjoying themselves and the sport, so it’s pretty enjoyable for my part.”