Mercer got just that when when he signed a letter of intent to play NCAA Division-III soccer for Kings College in New York City.

“It was obviously a difficult decision and I had a lot of help from my father, friends, teammates and coaches in making that decision,” Mercer said. “I knew what I wanted to do academically and Kings was a nice school in a big city. I wanted that big-city experience, to get the opposite lifestyle and test out where I want to be later in life.”

Aside from academics, Mercer wanted a place where he would have a chance to play. Mercer, who was interested in NCAA Division-I Seattle University, a team that was ranked in the top-25 last year, was told he wasn’t going to get a chance to see the field in Seattle until his senior season.

“I actually got scouted a little bit by Seattle,” Mercer said. “I talked to their coaches and they told me I would probably get a chance to play my senior year and I would have to sit on the bench without a scholarship for three years. That is just a long time to wait to play,” Mercer said.

According to Kings College Coach Tom Harmon, Mercer will have an opportunity to play for the Lions immediately.

“We are very excited to have Mike join us in the fall,” Harmon said. “He’s a great addition to our roster but more importantly, Mike possesses the skills, the character and academic ability that are essential at King’s College. We are looking forward to working with him on the field and in the classroom so he can be the best he possibly can.”

Mercer, a native to Polson, said he also is looking at his experience in NYC as an “adventure.”

“I was born in Polson and I have never really been anywhere huge,” Mercer said. “I believe New York City is the 14th biggest city in the world and that was a big thing for me. In Polson, I love to look at the mountains and in the big city, I will love to look at big buildings. That will give me an idea of whether I want to live in a big city, medium city, or a small town like Polson. I wanted to gauge the opposite end of the scale.”

Mercer compared the transition period Kings College is experiencing to the transition the Polson soccer program experienced during his freshman season.

“I like Coach Tom Harmon’s program and he is trying to make a turn around just like it was when I first arrived at Polson,” Mercer said. “I knew I could play on a team like my freshman and sophomore year. I thought Kings was a good fit. I want to be able to play and have fun. That is my lifestyle.”

Mercer said he felt one of the draws that attracted to him to Kings, aside from the opportunity of playing time, is the academic opportunity they provide.

“One of the biggest things that sold me on the college was the ability to study abroad at Oxford or England,” Mercer said. “I thought ‘I would love to try to achieve a post-grad at Oxford and use the connections that Kings has to have an opportunity to get there’. I could study abroad in the spring season in England.”

Mercer hopes to utilize his opportunity to gain a broader perspective to major in philosophy with the aspiration of eventually becoming a college professor.

“I am almost positive that I will major in philosophy, and after that try to get my masters and doctorate,” Mercer said. “I will try to become a college professor or something along those lines.”