Gail Carter-Cade, a Jacksonville-based author specializing in emotional resilience, has written a poem dedicated to the Jacksonville Jaguars as an act of support, aiming to bridge the emotional gap between fans and athletes. The poem emerged from a personal experience at a game in Nashville, Tennessee, where Carter-Cade and her family attempted to show support after a loss but observed players avoiding eye contact, prompting her to consider the unseen emotional struggles athletes face.
‘After a loss, athletes don’t just feel physical pain. They feel grief,’ Carter-Cade said. She cited an article from Psychology Today that describes how athletes often experience emotional fallout including sadness, shame, anger, and self-doubt after defeats. Her poem, titled ‘A Loss,’ reflects this reality, portraying the internal conflict of an athlete who feels ‘like trash’ after a game but resolves to ‘reclaim’ success next time.
Carter-Cade emphasized that her work reframes loss not as failure but as feedback, advocating for a growth mindset where athletes learn from setbacks. ‘What matters is the growth mindset — what they learn, how they practice, and how they show up next time,’ she explained. The poem is part of her broader mission to help people navigate emotional pain, extending beyond sports to students and anyone facing disappointment.
She has published related works, including a workbook titled ‘Uplifting The Pain By Fostering Growth Mindset Through Poetry Now’ available on Amazon and a book ‘Uplifting The Pain of Behavioral and Learning Styles Through Poetry Now’ also on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Carter-Cade hopes the message will resonate across Florida, encouraging support for all individuals dealing with silent emotional battles, not just professional athletes.
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