It didn't take long for his dynamic play on the field to catch the attention of U.S. National Team coaches. Wolff made his first full-appearance in a USA jersey in 1999 and went on to start every game for the U.S. at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where the team made a historical fourth-place finish-just short of a medal. Recently, Wolff made five appearances for the National Team in World Cup-qualifying play, increasing the likelihood that he will make the 2002 World Cup roster for the U.S.

Wolff talks about his start in soccer, as well as what it meant for him to be a part of the 2002 U.S. Olympic Team. He also shares some inside stories, including his love for a game called "head-tennis," which he and his teammates competitively play prior to each professional game.

Q1. How old were you when you first started playing soccer, and how did you get your start?

JOSH WOLFF: I was like 4 or 5. Basically it was a process of my brothers were soccer players, so I fell kind of in line. They played that and baseball, so I was kinda like the little guinea pig. They beat me to death and I grew to love the game.

Q2. Do you remember your first goal?

JOSH WOLFF: No, I don't even know. My mom or somebody might because they coached me when I was younger, but I have no idea. They told me I played goalie and I'd run around and I was never really conscious of what soccer was. I just kinda ran around and played.

Q3. Who's had the biggest impact on you as a soccer player?

JOSH WOLFF: I would have to say my older brother, Ricky, just because he was somebody that was very committed to the sport and didn't allow there to be any interference as far as drugs, alcohol, smoking or any of that stuff. He was very good. He stuck to soccer and I kinda watched him and wanted to emulate him because he was obviously a very good soccer player. I wanted to be more like him and these were the things that he did-he just played every day and I was just kinda like his little sidekick and would go along with him whenever and wherever he wanted to go.

Q4. What was it like competing for the U.S. in Sydney?

JOSH WOLFF: Going to the Olympics was the sole reason that I left school early-just to join Project-40 to give me a better opportunity for me as a player to progress. I think leaving and becoming part of the MLS has allowed me to grow as a player. And I think had I not done that, it wouldn't have put me in a good position. Going there was my ultimate dream and accomplishing that was fantastic. Obviously we came up a little short on getting a medal, but certainly far exceeded many expectations as far as winning our group and then beating Japan. It was incredible. Playing against some of those players, playing against some of those countries-it's a completely different atmosphere than I've ever experienced and one that I will certainly remember for the rest of my life.

Q5. Do you think your experience at the Olympics has made you more excited for the World Cup this year?

JOSH WOLFF: Absolutely. I think performing well in the Olympics-and that's a fairly big stage, obviously the biggest stage that I have played on up until that point-gave me the opportunity to be seen by Bruce Arena, but also other teams throughout the world. And I think that in itself was a great experience because it opened my eyes to new things. Obviously now there's other accomplishments that I've put up there that I want to try and achieve. And if I could go to the World Cup, something I certainly wasn't thinking about when I went to the Olympics, it would be unbelievable.

Q6. What's your favorite part about playing with the national team?

JOSH WOLFF: Obviously, you're representing your country. Anytime you can do that, you can't take it for granted. Your first time could be your last time. Fortunately I've been there a few times now and I want to continue to do that more than anything. That's what drives me-to be part of the national team as long as I can. Every time you go into a training, every time you go into a game, you're being evaluated. So, once your level starts to drop, you could easily be replaced or taken out of the roster. On the athletes' side and on the players' side that's our job-every time we go out, we gotta lay it on the line and try to prove to the coach that we should be part of that team. I think that's the most appealing and exciting thing about it, because every day you're going out there to prove yourself. Each day is different. Being at that level is what makes you better. You're at the highest level, internationally, and it's very difficult, yet you can learn from it.

Q7. How are international matches different than MLS matches?

JOSH WOLFF: Whenever you get in those games, there's just so much more intensity. The people across from you are representing their country and have that passion and the drive also. It's just two teams clashing, and it's usually a good strong battle and it's intense for 90 minutes-which in the MLS and with club teams, it can kinda taper off I'm sure.

Q8. How do you prepare yourself before each game?

JOSH WOLFF: I like to play head-tennis. It's just like a little fun game within the locker room. There's like 4, 5, 6 of us in Chicago that are a very competitive group so when we play, it's almost my way of getting warmed up for a game. I break a pretty good sweat and then when I'm able to go back out onto the field before the game, I'm fairly loose and I've already kind of got my muscles going. It's just like a little game, but if you came in there, you'd think we were playing for millions of dollars as hard and aggressive and into the game as we are. That kinda just gets me going and I actually enjoy that part of it because I think it just tunes me into the game and prepares me in a good manner.

Q9. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time for fun?

JOSH WOLFF: I got married in November of 2000 and I spend a lot of time with my wife and we have a dog. Basically, we come to Chicago and we enjoy our time here. It's a new city-we're both from Atlanta. I've been here three or four years, but now we're both here. We just basically hang out and spend a lot of time. We go downtown, we do a little shopping, a little eating, I play golf with some of the guys on the weekends and that's about it. We try and relax and enjoy the moment as much as we can and just try and prepare for the future. At some point, we'll have some kids and that'll be the next big step.

Q10. If you could give one piece of advice to young players out there, what would it be?

JOSH WOLFF: I've always said that when you're coming up, there are so many people pushing you towards the sport. My thing is just play because you enjoy it. Don't let your parents, don't let your friends or anyone else have an effect as far as getting you down or getting you up. Just play the game with enthusiasm, but play the game because you want to and you enjoy it and you love it. It was disappointing because I grew up around kids that you could see it-their parents wanted it more than they did. That was the one thing that I saw and one thing that I would never do to my kids when the day comes. But, for kids to enjoy the sport is a very important thing. As they grow older, they're going to have their own ideas and their own personalities and eventually they're going to have to pull away if they're not having fun. That's basically it-just to enjoy it.