Charlotte FC sets out to tell authentic stories that humanize our fans and their relationship with our team at the deepest level. As is true across the U.S., mental health challenges exist throughout Charlotte and our surrounding communities in North and South Carolina.
In spring 2024, the team received a letter from the Love family - a local Charlotte family and dedicated fans of Charlotte FC since the team’s inaugural season in 2022. The letter detailed the mental health struggles of one of their children, Caroline Love. At just 11 years old, Caroline began suffering several mental health issues. After meeting with countless doctors and specialists in the Charlotte area, nothing seemed to work as Caroline’s mental state continued to deteriorate. Eventually, the Love family found a facility in Arizona that provided the answers and solutions they were seeking. Unfortunately for Caroline however, it temporarily took her away from Charlotte, and thus her favorite soccer club. During her time away, many phone calls were spent discussing how Charlotte FC was playing that season, with her parents giving play-by-play updates on each game. In the Love’s words, Charlotte FC helped their family through “the worst season of their lives.”
The letter inspired the video ‘Caroline Love, You Are Never Alone | Finding Strength in Community’, which Charlotte FC created in hopes of inspiring its fans and the community at large with a powerful message. Caroline’s story demonstrates what makes sports special, positively impacting people's lives for the better.
The story began when a Charlotte FC Ticket Services Representative received a heartfelt letter from the Love family—one of the club’s first and most devoted fans—sharing their daughter Caroline’s struggles with mental health. Inspired by the letter, Charlotte FC created ‘Caroline Love, You Are Never Alone’, a nearly 10-minute video that tells Caroline’s story and highlights the organization’s efforts to support her and her family in return for their inspiring journey.
In the video, the emotional letter is read for the first time by Charlotte FC Captain, Ashley Westwood, and the team’s goalkeeper and 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Kristijan Kahlina. Caroline’s message of resilience was further emphasized by Charlotte FC Head Coach Dean Smith in a full team meeting, reminding all players and personnel the impact they each have beyond the score line on the field.
Timed with Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2024, Charlotte FC invited Caroline to the team’s facility in Charlotte in what she thinks is to talk about her story for this important month. With the help of her parents, Caroline was surprised by her favorite player, Kahlina, who gave her one of his jerseys - a particularly special exchange as Caroline herself plays the goalkeeper position for her school’s team - followed by meeting the entire squad during a private team training session.
‘Caroline Love, You Are Never Alone’ was made possible through full buy-in and collaboration across the entire club, a reflection of its significance and the care taken to tell a story that deserves to be heard. The initiative and subsequent video stands as one of the most important efforts Charlotte FC has supported since its debut season in 2022.
The final layer to execution came down to the club's incredible content team whose ability to prioritize authenticity and craft a narrative driven by emotional connection—not just clicks—was imperative to tell this story the right way. The video’s structure was purposefully crafted to make a human connection first, before delivering its important message. The voice of that message being the subject itself and not the club; Charlotte FC was merely a vehicle for Caroline and the Love family to tell this important story. Charlotte FC served only as a platform to amplify their story, not to shape or control it.
The overwhelming outpouring of support for Caroline and the Love family upon the video’s release made this a major success. Furthermore, Charlotte FC showed that it’s not just a soccer team, but an organization that cares about the community and wants to tell these important stories. And just as importantly, sports have an impact on lives in more ways than just wins and losses.
The reach Charlotte FC had with the release of ‘Caroline Love, You Are Never Alone’ was a key indicator of success as well. The team’s head coach and captain have the attention of an international audience and their buy-in and support helped reach a worldwide audience. The video was shared with new audiences across the globe, furthering the club’s reach for sports fans alike.
