ATLANTA — Running out on the pitch for Atlanta United took 19-year-old phenom Caleb Wiley years of practice.
"Putting my head down, working hard every single day, and doing what I do," is his strategy, he said.
He is hoping what he does will add up to what he hopes to be: an Olympian.
"First is the hard work. When I am here training with ATLUD and when I am away in camps showing who I am on the field and then who I am as a person, I think that's just as important," he said.
Wiley, who just turned 19 last December, has worked his entire life to make the United States Under 23 Olympic Team for the Paris Games.
"It would mean so much. It's a huge honor any time I can represent my country. It means a lot to my family and friends. I know the club and the city of Atlanta. So it would mean so much to me," Wiley said.
And everyone— from his family to the fans to his coaches at Atlanta United— is cheering him on.
"Now he's on the verge of going to the Olympics, which is a huge, huge tournament for them, so hopefully he can make it because he deserves it," then-Atlanta United Head Coach Gonzalo Pineda Reyes said. "He's been working really, really hard for the opportunity, and we are all very, very happy for him."
Caleb has been with the club since he was 12 years old, where he served as a ball boy for the national team in 2018. He worked his way up from the academy to the practice squad to now not only a starter on Atlanta United's Major League Soccer squad, but an impact player.
"Super happy for him. Caleb Wiley always brings a smile to my face because he's a lovely kid. He's a great, great talent," Reyes said.
Now, he is hoping to be great for the U.S.A.
"There's a lot that goes in to it, but for me, one that stands out is being patient. Understanding that everyone has different pathways, and whatever pathway you have, you have to have full belief in it," Wiley said.
The Olympic team will be announced between July 3 and July 8.