Caleb Smith played DI soccer at SMU from 2015-2018. He will be writing about his rookie season in the USL Championship with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds throughout the 2019 campaign.

This is no joke. I knew it wouldn’t be. I knew what I was getting myself into, but I didn’t realize how much everything had to work out in order for it to work out.

MORE: Life as a pro columns from Caleb Smith

That’s the life of a professional soccer player. Everyone’s journey is different. How we got to where we are is unique to each individual. Every year I scrolled through different pro players’ Instagram feeds after their first season. They highlighted the cliché ups and downs and spoke of what’s to come in the future.