As the sponsors of the Cohort at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia--a program to increase the number of minority male students in Advanced Placement (AP) classes--the authors view their work with the young men in this program as very similar to coaching a team. The Cohort asks these young men to challenge and push themselves; to test their mettle in tasks that require concentration, practice, and skillful execution; to risk belonging to a diverse team and finding out together what unity really means; and to pick themselves and their teammates back up after facing adversity. Anyone who has ever played a team sport knows that those reckonings are hard-earned, far deeper, and more profound than any won-lost record ever shows. Members of the Cohort program are asked to make a commitment to attend the weekly meetings; articulate their thoughts and beliefs in response to questions posed at those gatherings; be willing to offer help to other members who may be struggling with a particular subject; and participate in other Cohort-sponsored events, such as their annual fall college trip, an outdoor education experience that focuses on trust building and communication, and the annual Cohort Parent-Son Banquet.