Tracey, Australia 2005
Tracey was part of the Australian team that was voted best new team
after finishing in seventh place at the Homeless World Cup in
Edinburgh. This is her story.
Tracey started as streetpaper vendor in Melbourne in 2005 and went to
her first Street Socceroos training session in January 2005, after
finally agreeing to attend at the insistence of George, the coach and a
worker at the Big Issue.
"I was homeless for four years after losing my house as a result of
drug addiction and mixing with the wrong people. I also lost friends
and family in the process basically lost everything…I was literally in the gutter and felt depressed suicidal and at the
end of my life. I felt like getting even more into drugs to get away
from life I did not see a future and could not look forwards… My life was drugs alcohol and the gutter."
As the only female there, Tracey had every reason to be nervous about
trying to break into the boys club. She didn’t expect to go back to
another training session, and certainly never dreamed that seven months
later she would be representing her country in the Homeless World Cup.
"I was encouraged by my coach George - actually he convinced me, he
actually mentioned it every time I saw him in the office. I had not
played any sport for around 20 years but just wanted to get involved in
something and feel part of something. There wasn’t much to my life
really so this was just something different. But it was daunting being one of a few girls in the project."
Thanks to the way she was welcomed into the team and included in the
game, training sessions became a regular part of Tracey’s Wednesday
afternoons. As well as feeling physically and mentally healthier, Tracey also
noticed her self-esteem and confidence improved as a result of the
experience. As she says: “I’m not scared to try new things anymore.”
In July 2005, Tracey was selected to be part of the first Australian
team to participate in the Homeless World Cup in Edinburgh. Tracey
describes her first trip out of Victoria as a “once in a lifetime
experience” and is still in contact with players from other countries.
"The Homeless World Cup made me ecstatic, proud, I wanted to tell
everyone, tell the whole world. It was the first time in my life that
they would be proud of me. Also a few male vendors did not think I would make it…so I showed
them! I knew that I could achieve any goal if I put my mind to it. For the first time in my life. I showed some dedication to something
and it paid off. When playing I was nervous, happy, scared. I felt a
great sense of achievement and pride and even though I only played few
minutes here. There is nothing better that representing you country."
"At the end I was a bit sad saying goodbye to many new friends but again
I knew I was one of the first team that Australia ever sent to the
Homeless World Cup. It was an experience of a lifetime."
"It was unforgettable, amazing. I'd love to do it again but it's great that someone else will have the same opportunity in the future."
After the excitement of two weeks of soccer in Scotland, Tracey came back to selling the Big Issue in Melbourne. One of the first things she noticed was her children’s new-found respect for her – they were very proud to have a mum who went overseas to play for Australia!
Tracey moved into transitional housing, a lovely two bedroom house where her children sometimes stay with her. She has also started a part- time job in a laundrette and is getting back into the swing of soccer training.
Tracey says: "I am now in secure transitional housing and I am
so happy. But I am so much more confident and see the world
differently. There are people that care and there are people that can help -soccer
showed me that. But you have to do the hard work yourself too.
"I have almost finished totally my drug rehab program and am drug free,
I want to give something back to the community and to the program that
helped me. I now have a new job as cleaner/laundry assistant at a men’s
alcoholics centre and I help out in lots of ways. It's a great job and
I like interaction with staff and the men there.
"I can now see where I am heading in life and that is a life with a
house a job and my family back. I want to enjoy life and I want to get
the trust of my family back.
"I know where I have been and I know exactly where I want to go. I owe
a lot to the Street Socceroos program and would encourage more women to
play and become part of the team."
