Sports Performance Mental and Emotional Fitness Coach Greg Warburton has been pioneering broad applications of Energy Psychology and Eden Energy Medicine in sports performance since 2006. That was the year Oregon State University baseball team pitching coach, Dan Spencer, invited Greg to introduce energy-based methods to the pitchers and catchers on the team. What happened next was nothing short of remarkable.
Oregon State won the National Championship that season and won it again in 2007, when Freshman pitcher, Jorge Reyes, was “caught” in the dugout tapping on energy points in between innings. Jorge won two games as a pitcher and was named Most Outstanding Player in the 2007 National Championship.
Watch Jorge Reyes tapping in the dugout.
“I only teach methods/practices that I personally use and that I know work well with people. I’ve been tapping energy points almost every day for the past 20 years!” shares Greg. Tapping is a powerful energy-based technique that has been shown to change patterns in the brain. Also known as the Emotional Freedom Technique, this simple yet effective technique involves gently tapping on specific meridian acupoints on the body.
Greg first became passionate about helping athletes achieve peak mental, emotional, and physical states with energy-based tools 2 decades ago. “I was at a stage in my career counseling 'emotionally disturbed' kids and teens, where I was frustrated. I could see that talk therapy wasn’t enough,” remembers Greg. He was fiercely motivated to find methods that could create positive results for the kids, and he started by asking himself an important question: What could be done so he could be a better helper for these young people?
Greg’s personal mission soon led him to the potent benefits of working with energy-based tools to assist troubled youth who faced traumatic emotional memories. He saw firsthand how these tools enabled them to achieve a relaxed body and a calm state of mind.
As a lifelong athlete, Greg began to wonder about the effects of energy-based techniques in the world of sports performance. He already knew there was a significant void in mental training for athletes where common wisdom ran along the lines of “be mentally tough,” “keep your emotions off the field.” and “compete with confidence.” While this is excellent advice, there didn’t seem to be clear instructions on exactly how athletes could become mentally tough, keep their emotions off the field or compete with confidence.
“Sports Psychology has, for the past 50 years, been predominantly focused on cognitive training only,” reflects Greg. “The bottom line is that the mental training model has been incomplete. They have only been coached to use thinking as a way to try and relax, which is remarkably inefficient!”
Greg knew that athletes needed to bring more of their attention out of their heads and into their bodies to create deep mental and physical relaxation so they could perform at their best. He knew energy-based tools could be an effective path to “talk” to the body and clear out issues that block peak performances on the field. “These energy-based tools are essentially mental and emotional self-management skills athletes can work with to manage stress and anxiety when competing under pressure, which is when it matters most!”
Over the years, Greg has been connected to 10 national championships in one way or another. He’s worked with key players who have added energy-based methods to their personal mental and emotional fitness preparation. Greg has also developed his own approach to working with energy-based tools.
“Warburton’s Winning System" is rooted in practices that enable athletes to effectively mentally and emotionally self-manage. The System includes Energy Psychology and Eden Energy Medicine practices. Greg shares how his athletes now have a dependable approach that allows them to compete, from start to finish, in a relaxed body and calm state of mind. “They no longer have to fight their heads to stay calm,” explains Greg. “Also, they no longer have to worry about emotional upset and poor performances because they learn skills to instantly handle the ups and downs of all sports performance.”
Greg is looking forward to the day when more coaches and leaders will join him in his quest to introduce energy-based techniques to the sports world. “My intention and purpose, later in my career, is to find venues, publications, and open-minded young coaches and leaders who are willing to join me on this pioneering journey.” Greg continues, “Sports is indeed one of the best bridges for sharing news of the value of energy-based techniques with the whole wide world!” We couldn’t agree more!