Did you know where the term “Touchpoints” came from? Bet you didn’t know it came from fencing. Read on, and listen as well, you are in for a business, storytelling and entrepreneurial treat.
Michael Aufrichtig, Head Coach of Columbia University Fencing, joins us to discuss the state of the sport in 2020 (listen here) and his unique path to success . From a software salesman with no prior professional coaching experience, to the champion of the “Moneyblade” approach, the Brooklyn born, Louisiana raised NYU grad has utilized analytics in recruitment and coaching to guide CU Fencing to 3 NCAA Championships and 11 Ivy League Championships in just nine years.
How does fencing relate to bigger picture business strategy?
Some great things to listen for in the podcast here.
Moneyblade: Take Billy Bean’s ideas made famous in both the film and Michael Lewis’ book and apply some of the simple tactics to recruiting for fencing. Michael looked not always for the top ten fencers, he looked for athletes who were middle of the pack or excelled in certain key areas, especially with regarded to the five touches needed to win an NCAA match, and spent time seeing who fit the culture he was trying to build. Then you factor in a deeper dive in analytics and some grit, and he has produced champions that bucked the traditional system in the sport; a philosophy that has produced amazing leaders as well as great athletes, some of which came from very non traditional backgrounds.
In order to make “Moneyblade” work, Aufrichtig leads his team culture off of five principles:
Quality over quantity: Have members of your team who fit and perform and give them a chance to succeed. Time management is key…how time in preparation leads to success is much more important than spending endless hours with no purpose.
Great preparation leads to great expectations: if you set yourself up for success by doing all the little things, you can achieve lofty goals. The end result, the success, comes from all the work put in.
Observe, analyze and adjust: The world we are in is very fluid, and is not really a zero sum game. We learn from the mistakes we make and work, and remember, how not to make them again. Fencing, a sport of touches, rarely has perfect scores. Learning from the touches you lose can lead to success.
Customize communication: Like teaching, coaching is not an exact science. Each individual responds to direct cues, so listening, adjusting and then delivering a plan to your team, your students, your family that is respective of their point of view, gives you much more of a chance of success than taking a cookie cutter approach.
Fencing Isn’t Fair: inconsistent judging, slight mistakes in strategy, not enough preparation, heck, bad luck all factor into the results of a sport than be decided by a slight movement. Understanding that, and worrying about the things you can control, helps focus on success. Imperfection rules the day, dealing with imperfection brings success.
Business beyond the match: Another key point to listen for is the discussion about Name, Image and Likeness, and the opportunity Michael sees for sports like fencing. Athletes who take the time to understand their brand, who can connect with their community, and who can outline a path where they can bring a return will have the opportunity to capitalize on the coming legislation being put forth. In fencing, that could mean high end law firm and accounting firms with ties to the sport; it could be fitness apps looking to take advantage of a niche audience, it could be causes that the sport or individuals support. While it might be massive dollars, a well thought out plan and the right proactive reach, might bring surprising results for a group that has an entrepreneurial spirit and ethic.
Those are just some of the narratives we touched on in the podcast, and if you don’t have time for the full listen, it’s less than an hour, check out Michael’s TED Talk, which can be seen here.
It is all very informative and transcends a sport, much like the conversation we had about chess does recently.
It’s not just about the foils, its about strategy and thinking beyond a game.
