In the heart of football season, one Jacksonville family's love for the Jaguars turned into a powerful act of encouragement that now has the potential to inspire athletes, fans, and communities across Florida. Gail Carter-Cade, a Jacksonville-based author specializing in healing and emotional resilience, has penned a heartfelt poem dedicated to the Jacksonville Jaguars as an offering of unwavering support.
"My family and I are die-hard Jaguars fans," Carter-Cade shared. "We continue to roar for them and never give up hope. We even travel to at least one away game every year." At a recent game in Nashville, Tennessee, Gail and her family sat near the players' exit tunnel, hoping to show their love after a tough loss. "We were rooting and hoping for them to win. Unfortunately, they didn't. Our hearts sank. We tried to get their attention to let them know we came all the way from Jacksonville to support them. Most of the players looked down or straight ahead. They wouldn't even make eye contact."
Instead of turning that moment into disappointment, Gail turned it into purpose. "I continue supporting the team because they show heart and the will to keep fighting," she said. "The scoreboard doesn't measure Trevor Lawrence's character or work ethic. It doesn't show that he's a fighter." As an author devoted to helping people navigate emotional pain, Gail recognized something deeper happening beneath the surface of every loss. "After a loss, athletes don't just feel physical pain. They feel grief." According to Psychology Today, athletes often experience deep emotional fallout after losses, including sadness, shame, anger, fear of disappointing others, self-doubt, anxiety, and loss of confidence.
These invisible struggles are rarely seen by fans but are very real. Gail's poem reflects this emotional reality and reframes loss not as failure but as feedback. "A pro doesn't avoid losses. They respond to them. What matters is the growth mindset — what they learn, how they practice, and how they show up next time." She wrote the poem to inspire students, professional athletes, and fans alike. "I wrote this poem to let athletes know how they feel matters — and to let fans understand the emotional toll of the game. In this way, we can truly uplift the pain."
The poem, titled "A Loss," captures the emotional journey of an athlete after a defeat: "We didn't win the game / But next time we will reclaim / We didn't get the result we wanted, and that's hard / We win, we lose together, and stay committed." Gail hopes Florida will rally behind this message not just for the Jaguars but for every athlete, student, and person battling silent disappointment. Her work is available through her workbook on Amazon and her book on Amazon, as well as Barnes & Noble.
