The pursuit of athletic excellence demands more than just physical prowess. Echoing the age-old wisdom, Healthy mind in healthy body, underscores the critical balance between intellectual, spiritual, and physical well-being. Recognizing this, a recent conference and workshop, “How a Champion is Prepared, the Mind is Also Trained,” addressed the intense pressures faced by high-performance athletes.

A holistic Approach to Athletic Development

The event,a collaboration between the Ministry of Education,the Ministry of Sports and Youth,and the University of Sports,targeted coaches and athletes gearing up for the National School Sports Games. Key figures, including Secretary of Education Manuel Viveros Narciso, Secretary of Sports and Youth of Puebla Gaby “La Nonita” Sánchez, and University of Sports Rector José Luis Sánchez Solá, provided guidance.

Dr. Claudia Rivas, coordinator of the Psychological Department of Club America and a veteran in sports psychology with over 30 years of experiance, led the presentation. As the inheritor of Dr. Octavio Rivas’s pioneering work, she shared strategies for achieving peak performance through emotional preparation, mental discipline, and physical balance.

Strategies for Success

Dr. Rivas emphasized the importance of mental fortitude in competitive sports. Her presentation focused on:

• Emotional preparation: Managing stress and anxiety effectively.
• Mental discipline: Maintaining focus and resilience under pressure.
• Physical balance: Integrating mental and physical training for optimal performance.

The central objective was to equip athletes with tools to apply their training camp learnings effectively, fostering both integral and competitive development. This initiative aligns with the program spearheaded by Alejandro Armenta.

The Importance of Integral Well-being

Secretary of Education Manuel Viveros Narciso highlighted the importance of nurturing the holistic well-being of young athletes by reinforcing their academic and psychological training. He expressed his vision for the games, stating:

Dreams are fulfilled, if they dream that they are going to be champions, they will be. I want the three units involved to leave their mark on this past fair, and I dream of giving recognition to champions, I know that we are going to give an unusual result in Puebla, you enjoy playing.
Manuel Viveros Narciso, Secretary of Education

National School sports Games: A Platform for Young athletes

The National School Sports Games of Basic Education 2025, also known as Sports and Paradeportes School Games (Jedpa), are designed to promote physical activity and cultivate athletes in basic education. Competitions are held across multiple venues, including Puebla, Tlaxcala, jalisco, Yucatán, and Colima, from May 15 to July 13, 2025. The games are divided into categories based on age:

• Category A: 10, 11, and 12 years
• Category B: 13 and 14 years
• category C: 15, 16, and 17 years