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From the Pitch – "Life off the Pitch"

By FORREST LASSO, FC Cincinnati, 05/23/18, 4:45PM EDT

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Behind the rigors of professional soccer, FCC defender is simply a big kid living a dream

The majority of people think my life as a professional athlete consists of strictly soccer. I’d like to think there’s much more to it than just footy.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m eternally grateful for the opportunities I’ve been blessed with. I thank God every day for giving me the ability to play this game I love so much and for allowing me to pursue a professional career, but while doing so, I’ve also witnessed a stereotype that professional athletes across the world encounter - that athletes are solely athletes.

But in reality, that’s far from the case.

I like to think my story on how I’ve gotten to where I am is different than other professionals. I’m the oldest brother to four siblings, a college graduate from Wofford College with a BA in Business Economics, a Christian, a HUGE “foodie,” and a little kid in a big body.

I would say if you know me, you know what #LittleKidBigBody means; however, no one really does. It’s something I’ve kept a secret primarily due to my superstitious ways. But now it’s come time to share the meaning behind it all.

Y’all may recall from my last entry that I was only 5’6 when I was 16 - I’m a fraction short of 6’6 now.

For the majority of my life, I was the small guy while all of my friends were bigger and stronger than me. I was in fact the “little kid,” but it also went further than just my physique.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve continued to live the same way as I did when I was younger - happy, appreciative, grateful, but most of all, youthful.

Or like a “little kid.”

Similar to how kids think and act, I aim to have fun and make the most of everything I do.

I try not to get too caught up with some of the realities of “adult” life, but rather look to find the great in all of the good and seek out the good in all of the bad. In essence, I strive to have fun in everything I do.

As I grew older, my philosophy and approach stayed the same, but I started to face new challenges that a 6-foot-plus “kid” wasn’t used to. I couldn’t horseplay like I used to because I was now much bigger, stronger, and heavier than my friends, so running into a buddy’s room unannounced and jumping on him was now out of the picture.

I couldn’t fit into cars the same way, couldn’t fit on airplanes comfortably, you get the idea.

In my head, I was still a little kid, but now I was in this “big body.”

Once I left Wofford to pursue a professional career, I started to notice that my relationships with my family and friends began to slowly dwindle as I was much busier than before. I was entering a lifestyle that none of my friends or family could relate to and even though it’s still a lame excuse, I struggled to find the time to stay in touch.

Luckily for me, all of my family and friends were on social media and in today’s society, it was the easiest way for me to stay connected.

"I try not to get too caught up with some of the realities of “adult” life, but rather look to find the great in all of the good and seek out the good in all of the bad. In essence, I strive to have fun in everything I do."

At first, my social media presence was relatively plain. I would tweet about how things were going during the training week as well as updates on our matches over the weekend.

I’d also upload images from the games to Instagram and Facebook letting my family and friends know where we had been playing and what was going on. After awhile I noticed that I was essentially posting the same tweets or photos week-in and week-out and although they were plenty interesting, I wasn’t necessarily sharing anything behind the scenes.

I wasn’t giving people what they truly wanted.

Then #LittleKidBigBody started.

While the hashtag applies to more than just what happens on the pitch, I can remember back to my rookie season when the #LittleKidBigBody mentality really took off.

It was one of my first games as a professional and one of my teammates scored the game deciding goal late in the match and despite the exhaustion, I wanted to celebrate with the lads.

I remember being so overwhelmed with excitement that I started sprinting half way across the pitch towards the guys before deciding to jump on top of them, as if anyone actually wanted a 6-foot-6, 210 pound “little kid” on top of their shoulders.

I remember being told by my teammates afterwards, “you’re too big to do that” and while they were probably right, I didn’t care, we just scored.

As I said above, I like to have fun in literally everything I do, but only those close to me get to really witness it.

I decided to start showing people that there was more to me than just want they saw on the pitch, and #LittleKidBigBody was a way for me to do so.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind when people think “Forrest Lasso, the soccer player,” but there’s more to me than just that. #LittleKidBigBody is one of things I want people to realize symbolizes who I am when they think about me.

I want people to see me as more than just a soccer player, because I’m just a normal guy, chasing a dream, and enjoying every second of it!

While I’m sure there are plenty of people that disapprove or roll their eyes at the idea of #LittleKidBigBody, I’d like to think the hashtag has caught great traction over the years.

Whether it be a reporter asking about its meaning during an interview, a fan mentioning it to me after games, being tagged in a post on social media with the hashtag, or a teammate using it as friendly banter, I’m continually surprised and humbled with how much it’s grown. While #LittleKidBigBody hit social media first, there was another hashtag that preceded it - #FaithFamilyFutbol.

If you check out my website, there’s an article that goes in-depth describing the meaning behind it all, but to summarize it, #FaithFamilyFutbol has been my foundation throughout my journey. It’s been a reminder of what’s important. They are my priorities - faith first, my family second, and futbol third. About midway through my third season I decided to up the ante. With the help of some others, I would launch my own website offering an inside perspective on what life is like for me on a daily basis. The website also offers a way for followers to connect with me on different social media platforms.

Hit me up @folasso and say what’s up!

While I’m fully focused on soccer and life on the pitch, it would be naïve of me to think this dream will last forever.

There will eventually be a time when the dream comes to an end and I will no longer be able to play and while I’m certainly not a legend, I want my legacy or influence I had on the game, and on those around me, to live on. I want people to not only remember me as the professional soccer player from Raleigh that went to Wofford College, but rather as the kid that always seemed to have fun.

The kid that never forgot where he came from. The kid who was in a big body and made the most out of every opportunity he was given. The kid that lived his dream.

The #LittleKidBigBody.

"There will eventually be a time when the dream comes to an end and I will no longer be able to play and while I’m certainly not a legend, I want my legacy or influence I had on the game, and on those around me, to live on."


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