What is an AI prompt to a Sports Coach?

Joseph Vachon
Apr 19
3 min read

Updated: May 8

By Coach Vachon

I’m not going to get into a long, technical explanation of what a prompt is. In short, it’s a set of detailed written instructions that AI uses to give you specific, relevant information about whatever topic you're asking. There’s more to it, sure, but that’s the simple version.

You could go to any AI chat tool right now and say, “Give me a 90-minute practice plan for a girls’ softball team.” And it’ll do it. You’ll get something back that might work. It might even be good enough for you.

But a prompt is more than just a question. It’s a way of narrowing down exactly what you want. You can ask follow-up questions, ask it to reformat, or turn it into a document. Then you keep going — adding detail, adjusting, shaping the answer until it fits you and your team.

Basketball Coach using an AI prompt — Coach using a AI Prompt

That’s what it’s done for me.

It’s allowed me to create an assistant that gives me what I need for the teams I coach. I’ve gotten new drills I hadn’t seen before, new ideas based on my team’s stats, and even help finding the right words to say in tough moments. It’s given me fresh energy to try new things and improve how I run my program.

What I enjoy most is the back-and-forth. I don’t just take what the AI gives me and run with it. I push it. I ask for more detail. I challenge it to give me better answers. And it usually does.

Is it perfect? No. I’ve had a couple drills that were explained wrong. I’ve disagreed with some of the strategies it gave me. But when I told it what didn’t work or why I disagreed, it adjusted. It learned how I think. And that made the next prompt even better.

There are more advanced things you can do with prompts — and I’ll write about those later. But what I’ve learned is that a well-written AI prompt isn’t just about getting drills or a game plan. It’s a way to become a better coach. More prepared, more focused, and more effective for your team.

I’ve put in the work writing these prompts, and I’ve gotten huge value from them. That’s why I want to share them with other coaches.

I’ve made six of my prompts available for free. They’re basic, but effective — and they’re similar to what you’d get in my $10 pack, which includes 15 prompts in key coaching categories. The $30 pack gives you 25 prompts with even more depth.

If you want something made just for your team, I also offer custom prompts. You fill out a Google Form with your team’s details, and I write them for you. One custom prompt is $20, and I offer discounts if you want three or more.

Eventually, I want to build a tool that lets coaches interact with my own version of an AI assistant. But that’s down the road. First up is a free course I’m creating to show coaches exactly how to use prompts in their workflow.

If you’ve ever wondered what an AI prompt really is — or how it could help your team — I hope this gave you a little insight. More importantly, I hope it helps you save time, think differently, and be a better coach.

– Coach Vachon