Sports, wellness, and public health: A social responsibility

Public health research has shown that regular physical activity and sports are associated with better emotional well-being, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and effective stress management in childhood and adolescence. Sports also strengthen essential social-emotional skills such as teamwork, emotional regulation, perseverance, and a sense of belonging.

With this perspective, Grupo Nexos recently donated sports uniforms for students at Francisco Felicie Martínez School in Vega Alta, promoting their participation in physical activities and on school teams. The elementary and middle school serves nearly 400 students and has a staff of approximately 60 teachers and school personnel.

“Emotional well-being, public health, and social responsibility are not abstract concepts for us; they translate into concrete action alongside communities,” explained Dr. Marizaida Sánchez-Cesáreo, Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Nexos. During the visit to formalize the donation, school principal Guillermo Miranda, physical education teacher Junito Vázquez, and technology teacher Norma Muñoz welcomed the Grupo Nexos team and presented a group of students wearing their new sports t-shirts.

Public schools are a fundamental setting for promoting public health and emotional well-being. They bring together academic, emotional, family, and community factors that shape children’s and adolescents’ development. In this environment, sports and physical activity should be integrated into a broader vision of health and well-being. It is also essential to create safe, structured school environments that support students’ well-being and to provide school staff with the support they need to address, with sensitivity, the challenges faced by families and the wider community.

The visit was part of Grupo Nexos’ social responsibility efforts with various schools and organizations, such as the Pablo Casals Specialized School of the Arts in Bayamón, where the organization has also contributed to educational and creative projects. In both cases, the vision is to maintain a sustained commitment to public schools as engines of development and as key spaces for strengthening emotional well-being.

The general public can help sustain these initiatives with a donation. Grupo Nexos is a nonprofit organization that promotes evidence-based practices and develops culturally adapted programs to improve the lives of children, adults, families, and professionals.