Tatum Wynalda, Pepperdine Women’s Soccer alumna, poses through all phases of her soccer career. Wynalda recently signed a short-term contract with San Diego Wave FC and the NWSL. Photos courtesy of Tatum Wynalda
Once a Wave, always a Wave.
Tatum Wynalda, Pepperdine Women’s Soccer alum, rode the Wave all the way down south to San Diego, where she signed her first professional contract in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the highest level of the U.S. soccer league system.
“It’s been so surreal, such a crazy few months. It has truly been such a dream,” Wynalda said. “It was meant to be, and I just feel so blessed that I get to be in a place that feels very much like home.”
Wynalda is a Thousand Oaks, Calif., native born to U.S. soccer legend Eric Wynalda and Amy Ward, a high achieving former collegiate soccer player herself. The familial connections don’t just stop there — Wynalda’s uncle is Pepperdine Soccer Head Coach Tim Ward.
“It’s in her blood. Our soccer household — my family, my brother’s family, her dad, her dad’s family — definitely influenced and drove her to play pro,” Amy Ward said. “From day one we dragged her along every weekend somewhere for soccer. Growing up in a soccer household and being exposed to the game in every aspect definitely helps drive her and increase her love of the sport.”
The Next Wave
Over winter break, Wynalda joined the San Diego Wave as a trialist where she trained with the team for about a month before playing in the Coachella Valley Invitational. After her trial, the club offered Wynalda a short-term contract, she said.
“It was meant to be,” Wynalda said. “I’m a Wave through and through.”
Although Wynalda secured a contract at the end of her trial, she said the journey to signing was not an easy one. In the NWSL, Wynalda knew the competition would be elite across the pitch.
“It was definitely a major emotional battle,” Wynalda said. “It’s probably one of the hardest mental things I’ve had to go through. I knew everyone was going to be stronger, faster, better than anyone I’ve ever played against — so just grinding, pushing, staying motivated when you don’t necessarily know where you stand amongst the team was really hard.”
Wynalda said it took her the first two weeks to really find her footing on the professional landscape. While she felt like she wasn’t playing her best soccer, Wynalda was able to make the adjustment she needed for the rest of her trial.
“When I felt the switch was when I finally was able to play with a sense of freedom,” Wynalda said. “I felt like I was playing my best soccer. I knew that whatever comes from this opportunity, I had given it my all, and I was giving my best every day, and that’s all I could ask for. I just wanted to leave with no regrets and fortunately, that worked out for me.”
Tatum Wynalda trains with San Diego Wave FC at the Coachella Valley Invitational in January. Wynalda said San Diego was her dream NWSL team to play for.
On March 14, 2026, Wynalda’s dream finally came true. She made her professional debut with San Diego Wave FC against the Houston Dash at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
“I am just so excited,” Wynalda said. “My goal is just to continue working hard, growing, learning and potentially extend my time here because I would love to be here as long as possible.”
From the Beginning
One trait of Wynalda’s that helped her break onto the professional scene is the competitive fire she carries with her, Tim Ward said. Growing up the youngest of three and also being on the younger side of her extended family, this spirit has been instilled in Wynalda from a young age.
Tim Ward said he watched this youthful competitiveness transition to feistiness on the pitch. It was this drive that pushed Wynalda to where she is today.
“Her natural personality is that she’s a firecracker,” Tim Ward said. “She’s been taught to grind and scrap and keep up and compete and be competitive to get her just rewards.”
This fierce drive was natural for Wynalda because it was evident in both of her parents, Tim Ward said. Eric Wynalda was once a leading goal scorer for the U.S. Men’s National Team, and Amy Ward led her high school team to four consecutive CIF championships before going on to play Division I soccer at San Diego State and Cal Lutheran.
“Growing up in a culture where competing and fighting to prove yourself has just been normal for her,” Tim Ward said. “She’s not afraid to grind and scrap. It doesn’t shock me to see her doing so well right now.”
Tatum Wynalda poses for a picture with her father Eric Wynalda as a young soccer player. Eric Wynalda was a U.S. soccer legend — a very influential part of her drive to go pro, Tatum Wynalda said.
Wynalda’s motivation came even before she could walk, Amy Ward said. Wynalda had a need to succeed prior to being a younger sister just trying to keep up with her siblings.
“When she was a little girl, there was just this fire in her belly, and that’s something that you’re born with,” Amy Ward said. “You can’t learn it. Not every athlete has it. You either have it or you don’t. It’s this drive and this passion and this will to win.”
As Wynalda grew up, this fire burned brighter in each step she took. From the youth club level through high school and now the professional stage, Amy Ward said her daughter never lost that burning passion.
“When you ask people, they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s no surprise that she’s going pro because she was always so passionate about it,’” Amy Ward said. “The fire and the competitiveness and the work ethic — it’s always been there.”
For Amy Ward, she said watching her daughter achieve her dreams makes the entire journey worth it for her as a mother.
“It’s more important that my kids live their dreams to me at this point, and the fact that she gets to do it is a dream come true for everybody in our family,” Amy Ward said. “We are beyond proud — she’s earned it.”
Wynalda said her family was her biggest asset as she navigated the professional scene for the first time. After every single training session, Wynalda would call her mom and sister to ground her and share in the successes she found.
“My family and the support system I had around me was the game changer for me,” Wynalda said. “It was really nice to have someone who wasn’t really in the circle to tell them everything that was going on and get it all out of my head.”
Tatum Wynalda poses for a picture with her mother Amy Ward as a young champion. Wynalda said her family has been her biggest support system throughout her entire career.
Another helpful habit Wynalda adopted during her journey was journaling. Wynalda said before she started her professional trial, her mother gave her a journal with a motivational note and baby picture to remind her where everything started.
“Journaling was a really, really great tool for me to clear my head but also process a lot of the emotions I was going through,” Wynalda said. “My mom’s message basically said, ‘This is your dream. Whatever comes from this, you’ve achieved the dream that you’ve always wanted for yourself.’ The journal is something I can look back upon when I’m older, when I have kids, and really just see how far I’ve come.”
Tatum Wynalda playing soccer as a young girl. This was the picture Amy Ward gave to her daughter in a journal as she began her professional trial.
The First Wave
Wynalda joins a long list of former Waves to turn pro, including Lynn Williams Biyendolo and Roxanne Barker, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“Pepperdine just breeds amazing human beings,” Wynalda said. “What I experienced at Pepperdine and the connections I made really helped me become the person and player I am today. None of this would have been possible without my team and all the lessons I’ve learned at Pepperdine.”
Tim Ward said his goal at Pepperdine is exactly what Wynalda said — building good players but building better humans.
“Our Pepperdine Waves are more than athletes — God created them for something incredibly unique and powerful,” Tim Ward said. “Tatum is no exception. We love her, we’re proud of her and we just want to congratulate her because it’s a really great moment for her and for our program.”
Tatum Wynalda takes a shot against Harvard on Sept. 3, 2023 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Throughout her time at Pepperdine, Wynalda scored 13 goals and had 17 assists, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Amy Ward said she was able to watch her daughter go through the special Pepperdine development firsthand. This growth set Wynalda up perfectly for the professional scene.
“Pepperdine was the perfect transition for her to help into this pro world,” Amy Ward said. “When you look at Tatum as a freshman to a senior, she went from a wild little child to an amazing young woman of character that is emotionally more mature, physically more responsible, spiritually more connected and overall just stronger.”
Wynalda said she graduated early in three and a half years as part of her effort to be ready for any professional opportunities that would become available immediately following the fall 2025 season. Even though she left Malibu early to follow her dreams, Wynalda still plans to come back and pour back into the program that poured into her as a collegiate player.
“I have so much love for Pepperdine and our program,” Wynalda said. “I’m so proud to be an alum from our Women’s Soccer program, and I will no doubt be continuing to follow them. I’ll do my best to represent them the best that I can in my pro career.”
Wynalda’s goal of staying a Wave ties directly back to the journey that brought her here. As a Southern California native, Wynalda said she feels right at home in San Diego.
“She’ll always be a Wave. It’s in her heart, it’s in her blood,” Amy Ward said.
_________________________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Nina Fife via X: (@ninafife_) or by email: nina.fife@pepperdine.edu