Touch Points, Leaning In, Not Back…Listening and Communicating Well; Lessons Learned From An Afternoon of Fencing…

Did you know where the term “Touchpoints” came from? Bet you didn’t know it came from fencing. It was just one of the great reminders, and insights we picked up this week as I fulfilled another “thing” I had on my list to do when I turned 60 a few years ago…take a fencing lesson with the Columbia team.

Now some may not see fencing as gritty, but if you know anything about the Upper West Side of Manhttan, success in athletics doesn;t come without its challenges, and that’s where an elite group of fencing tradition has been forged.

It is lead by the coach, my friend and colleague Michael Aftricting. 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 world class status and national and Ivy League champions during his tenure. Here are just some of the things we were reminded of as life lessons, and we used during our three hour sweat fest…one which I would do again in a heartbeat.

First was the tactic we literally had to walk into…lean in with all you do.

While fencing is about footwork and has defense, the reality is your best steps are going forward, not waiting for your opponent. You score touches through tactical and tactile, but waiting for the game to come to you, it’s not how you succeed. The same holds true for the world we live in now. While we have to absorb whats around us, if we dom;t lean in and engage, we miss the opportunity.

Now on to more.

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, or managing people, 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.

It’s not just about the foils and the spoils, it’s about strategy and thinking beyond a game and even in a sport we see as individual, it’s about team success and how we never stop learning, even in the bowls of a gym on a hot Tuesday afternoon.