ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Forrest Lasso made a big impact in his first season with the Tampa Bay Rowdies but this year the 27-year-old center back isn’t just helping his team.

He’s also assisting the next generation of soccer players in the Bay area.

“You know when I was a kid I wanted to play pro but I didn’t necessarily know how to get there so now that I’m there I want to give my younger self or guys like myself the opportunity to learn from guys that are doing to learn about the hard work, the grind, the persistence,” said Lasso.

The two-time USL Championship Defender of the Year is offering private training sessions for boys and girls of all ages.

“My guys here are working on speed and agility. They’re great players technically so we’re working on things no one really sees. Some sessions are technically based, some are physically based, it just kind of depends.”

Joshua Rosenberg and Tavin O’Toole have been working with Forrest for about a month.

“I actually found out through a friend that her son would be training with Forrest and I thought it would be a great opportunity for my son to come out and train with a professional athlete,” said Ryan O’Toole. “The kids love it, the kids enjoy working with Forrest, he’s a good guy. He’s a great role model for young kids.”

Forrest hopes to become a full-time coach once his playing days are over but he has also has goals off the pitch that he’d like to achieve. One of which is helping raise money for local charities.

“Each week will be a different charity or cause based on what’s important to the fans,” said Lasso. “Throughout the week I’m going to try and raise money through social media, the idea is to raise money for 30+ charities that obviously mean something to me but also mean something to everyone else.

Whether it’s on the pitch with the Rowdies or in the Tampa Bay community, Forrest Lasso is always striving to make a positive impact.