Hildreth
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They were cognizant of the fact that PA was supposed to be about democratic action, young
people exercising power, and learning about themselves in the process. But this rarely worked
out in practice. Latricia captures this frustration when she said, “Kids don’t go by the script.
And you’re like, why?” Faced with this dilemma, coaches also turned to the theories we read in
class or tried to model my practice in the classroom. Unfortunately the principles, theories, and
modeled practice rarely helped them in the early meetings with young people.
When confronted with the situation of being “left with these kids” and not knowing what
to do, coaches typically improvised, negotiating in the moment to craft a workable group. This
element of reaction and improvisation never went away. Coaches all recalled how their groups
could be radically different within a single session, and also from week to week. Latricia
confirmed this, “I think it’s a varied experience, as well, from time to time. There are ups and
downs as the group’s behavior and enthusiasm dictates [what happens in the group]. All coaches
commented on the important skills of observing, listening and reacting to groups. While group
dynamics were a source of frustration, as the year went on most coaches gradually improved
their abilities to read, react, and interact with their groups. These coaches found a mediated
practice that matched their own group, as opposed to “trying out” a new theory, or an “all
encompassing angle” each week. They became in Donald Schön’s (1983) phrase, reflective
practitioners. Although the process of figuring out this practice was frustrating, it ultimately
became a source of considerable learning.
Many undergraduates also found coaching extremely meaningful. Through the constant
negotiated interaction with their group, the students and coaches developed authentic
relationships with each other– some coaches came to genuinely care about “their kids.” Within
these relationships, coaches also learned a great deal about and from their students. They learned
Convention