Keep Dreaming

Introduction

Hi, I'm Tessa Walter. I grew up in the north east of England in a city called Newcastle. I grew up with my dad, sometimes my mum but she would come and go. One morning you would wake up and see her on the sofa, the next you wouldn't see her for weeks- sometimes months. My dad was the most caring and loving person in the world, and he still means everything to me, as he always tried to support me and my siblings in the best way he could. Then there was my older sister Delilah she was now 29 and already had 3 kids, Mickey, William and Izzy. Also, my older brother Adam, who was now 26, he just got engaged to his girlfriend and they are thinking about kids but in the future. Then there was me, Tessa, age 19 the 'dumb' one of the family, probably because growing up I made the worst decisions and would end up drunk most nights.  And lastly my little sister, Fern. Fern was only 15 and she was super smart, but she didn't like her smartness and was always acting like a dumbass. Me and dad came to the decision it was the people she was hanging out with, she didn't seem to fit in with her friends as though they were popular but she was just an outsider. But every time she came home from school she seemed happy so me and dad left her too it.

At the age of 5 I started playing football, at a local team my dad coached when he wasn't working. That meant playing with the boys but since we were still young we were all fine with each other, I still have some friends from there- Jacob and Remi. Then once I turned 7 my dad found me a girls team to join that still played in the same league, I was hesitant to join at first but eventually came round to the idea. Once I turned 13, Sunderland academy watched some of the games and invited me to do a trial with them, at first I didn't get in. But that didn't make me give up, I got invited a couple times and I eventually got picked when I was 15, when I turned 18 I got the option to sign a professional contract for Sunderland or go to the arsenal youth team. Everyone knew how big arsenal was in the women's game and I didn't know what to do, it was a dilemma that not only I faced, it effected my full family, no one had moved out of the area. Everyone lived somewhat close to our childhood home. But my dad gave me a good talk and I decided to go for the arsenal youth team. Then after 4 months there they put me up into the first team, it was a shock at first but now I'm pretty settled.

Dad comes and watches my games every so often as he gets on the train, but mostly when we play in the Emirates or when we played at Wembley for the Fa Cup. He always told me one day this would be my career, but i never believed him I just thought he was a proud dad with some ambition.

I was extremely thankful of the girls as they always supported me, and Leah let me stay with her. I mean she was only 20 and her parents had a family home in London and therefore she took it over. When I came down she said she needed a bit of company and I moved in with her, now we are definitely best friends, and one way or the other definitely having each other on all the time or taking the piss out of each other. But we have one rule 'no secrets'