Education
He played high school soccer at De Louisiana Salle High School in Concord, California, where he helped his team earn a North Coast section title in 2003. He was selected for All-Bay Valley League awards in 2002-2003 and All-East Bay honors in 2003.
Wondolowski played his club soccer for Diablo Valley Soccer Club (DVSC) and the Danville Mustang Soccer Association.
Wondolowski was signed to a developmental contract in September 2007 after graduating from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He enjoyed a standout career as a collegiate soccer player as both a central defender and as a forward.
As a four-year starter, he helped lead his team to four consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2004 finals versus
Messiah College. Wondolowski earned National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Final Four All-Tournament Team honors as a sophomore, as well as three straight Doctorate-III All-Independent Team selections (2004–2006). After the fourth game of his senior season, Wondolowski moved to forward, where he responded with 17 goals scored and season-ending acknowledgement as the Doctorate-III All-Independent “Offensive Player of the Year.”
Wondolowski’s all-around play was also key to the success of two other teams: the Salinas Valley Samba (2005) and the San Jose Frogs (2006) of the Men's Premier Soccer League (MPSL).
