Lawrence Olum was competing in a casual pick-up game with friends at a local field near his home in Nairobi, Kenya when he first noticed the American coach standing on the sideline.

The assistant coach from Missouri Baptist University had been intently watching the then-18-year-old midfielder. Growing up in Nairobi, Olum hadn't had access to academy teams or top-level coaching. He had learned to play soccer in school and been coached by his English teacher. But that didn't matter to the American coach. What he saw was talent.

Within a few months, Missouri Baptist, a small NAIA university in Creve Coeur, Missouri, had offered Olum a scholarship to play soccer and receive an education in America. It was a life-changing opportunity.

"It was sheer luck," Olum said. "He saw us playing out on the open field. I was just so lucky that he was there. Everything that has happened, happened because of that."

Olum went on to enjoy a standout career at Missouri Baptist, being named an All-American honorable mention three times. After proving himself in college, he moved on to the professional ranks, spending five years in the lower division USL before breaking into MLS with Sporting Kansas City in 2011.

Since then, Olum has made 88 starts (128 appearances) during a long and successful MLS career. After five seasons with Kansas City, he has developed into an important defensive piece with the Portland Timbers over the last two years.

Now, Olum wants to do his part to make sure that other children in Kenya are afforded the same opportunities that he was given.

Last February, he started the Lawrence Olum Foundation with the goal of promoting education and providing a structured environment for young athletes in Kenya to hone their skills. While the foundation is still getting off the ground, Olum said he hopes to work with established organizations in Kenya to identify athletes and give those young players a platform to continue to pursue educational and athletic opportunities.

The foundation is currently focused on three sports: soccer, basketball and volleyball. Over the last year, the foundation has given young athletes access to sports equipment and a platform to play through small leagues and tournaments.

"Sports and education gave me the chance to better myself," Olum said. "I was able to come to the U.S. because I had a decent education while I was in Kenya. Even for the kids that don't want to go to school, we're giving them something to look forward to when they do go to school with these sports activities after school."

Growing up, Olum said there weren't many structured programs available for talented athletes like him to develop their skills within Kenya. While some academy programs have since popped up within the country, he said opportunities are still lacking.

The Lawrence Olum Foundation is based in Olum's birthplace of Nairobi, which is the capital city of Kenya and has a population of over three million, but Olum hopes that the foundation will ultimately be able to cater to children throughout the vast country. While Olum was fortunate enough to grow up in a middle-class family, many children in Kenya aren't so lucky. The country suffers from immense inequality. Forty two percent of its population of 44 million live below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. Outside of a big city like Nairobi, there isn't always access to basic services, like clean water, electricity and education.

"That is one of our biggest problems," Olum said. "The country is so spread out, so if you're not in the city, there are some things that you cannot get, say for example, electricity."

Olum hopes he can ultimately use his platform as a professional athlete and contacts within the United States to be a bridge to help other talented young athletes in Kenya earn college scholarships and opportunities -- just like he did. But even if the children served by the foundation do not go on to pursue sports at a high level, he is hopeful that the emphasis on education will give them the platform they need to be successful and ultimately give back to their own communities.

"You might find somebody that's a good athlete, but depending on their background, they won't be able to have a good education or go to a decent school or get adequate training in their sport," Olum said. "We want to increase those chances to where even the kids that are not of good economic background can have these types of opportunities."

On August 12, Olum will host a footgolf tournament in Portland to benefit the foundation. For $40, participants will be entered in the tournament and receive a raffle coupon, two drink tickets and dinner. The money raised at the tournament will help support the day-to-day operations of the foundation, which include coaching and tournament costs, building awareness of the organization and providing sports equipment to the athletes.

"I know my community needs this," Olum said. "I'm just in a position where I have a platform to make this happen."

If you like soccer and golf here is your chance to enjoy both @LawrenceOlumFdn is hosting a footgolf tourney to benefit kids in Kenya who love sports. Visit https://t.co/D9xq5Y4Hwd to register. #educationandsports pic.twitter.com/j8W3y5ma43 — Lawrence Olum (@lawolum) July 25, 2018

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg