🧠 How ChatGPT Helped OL Reign Climb the NWSL Table: A Coach’s Bold AI Experiment

⚽️ When AI Steps Onto the Pitch: A New Era in Football Strategy

In an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming industries—from education to healthcare—it was only a matter of time before it found its way onto the football pitch. What was once the exclusive domain of human intuition, tactical experience, and gut feeling is now being shared with algorithms capable of analyzing data, generating insights, and even suggesting game plans.

While most teams still approach AI with caution, one coach decided to break the mold. Her story isn’t about replacing human judgment, but about enhancing it—using AI not as a crutch, but as a tactical ally. And the results? A dramatic leap in league standings, driven by a single, unconventional question posed to a chatbot.

In this article, we’ll explore how OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey used ChatGPT to reshape her team’s tactical approach, what specific recommendations the AI provided, and how those decisions translated into real-world results. We’ll also look ahead at what this could mean for the future of coaching—and answer the most common questions about this groundbreaking experiment.

📈 From a Simple Prompt to a Tactical Breakthrough

At the start of the season, while most teams were immersed in traditional pre-season routines, Laura Harvey took a different route. The OL Reign coach opened ChatGPT and typed a deceptively simple question: “What’s the best formation to beat teams in the NWSL?” It wasn’t a gimmick—it was a genuine attempt to find an edge after a disappointing previous season, where her team had finished second to last.

To her surprise, the AI didn’t respond with vague generalities. Instead, it delivered detailed tactical breakdowns for each opponent, complete with formation suggestions, defensive strategies, and positional tweaks. One standout recommendation: deploy a five-defender formation against two specific teams—something Harvey had never seriously considered before.

She implemented the advice. As the season progressed, the team’s cohesion improved, and results began to shift. OL Reign started picking up points against historically difficult opponents. By the current stage of the season, the team had climbed to fourth place in the league—a remarkable turnaround from the year before.

Harvey didn’t keep the experiment to herself. She shared it with her coaching staff and even discussed it publicly on the Soccer-ish podcast, saying: “I’m not joking—this is what I did based on what ChatGPT told me.” The success of the strategy prompted her team to rethink traditional scouting and analysis methods, opening the door to a new kind of assistant on the sidelines: artificial intelligence.

🤖 AI in Coaching: A Tactical Partner, Not a Replacement

What Laura Harvey did wasn’t just a one-off experiment—it signaled a deeper shift in how coaching decisions might be made in the future. With tools like ChatGPT, coaches now have access to instant tactical insights, opponent breakdowns, and scenario-based recommendations that would normally take hours of manual analysis.

In Harvey’s case, the AI wasn’t just used to study opponents. She also asked it to analyze her own team’s identity—its strengths, weaknesses, and how to better utilize individual players. The AI responded with suggestions on player positioning, formation flexibility, and even how to adapt to different in-game situations.

This raises important questions: Could AI become a permanent fixture in coaching teams? Will we see real-time tactical adjustments powered by machine learning? And if women’s football is leading the way in this innovation, how long before the rest of the sport catches up?

What’s clear is that AI is no longer a backstage tool. It’s stepping into the spotlight, not to replace human coaches, but to empower them with a new layer of strategic depth.

🔮 What This Means for the Future of Football

Laura Harvey’s story is more than a clever use of technology—it’s a glimpse into the future of football. As AI tools become more sophisticated, accessible, and sport-specific, they’re poised to become standard components of every coaching toolkit.

In a sport where marginal gains can define championships, the ability to simulate matchups, predict tactical outcomes, and personalize strategies in seconds is a game-changer. And unlike expensive analytics departments or proprietary software, tools like ChatGPT are widely available—even to coaches without massive budgets.

Women’s football, often overlooked in terms of tech investment, may ironically be the perfect proving ground for AI-driven coaching. Harvey’s success shows that innovation doesn’t require millions—it requires curiosity, openness, and a willingness to experiment.

Looking ahead, we may see AI integrated into live match analysis, fitness tracking, and even fan engagement. But perhaps the most exciting shift is philosophical: a new generation of coaches who see AI not as a threat, but as a creative partner—one that challenges assumptions, expands tactical imagination, and helps them make smarter, faster decisions under pressure.

In the end, what began as a single question—typed into a chatbot—may have sparked a quiet revolution in how football is coached, played, and won.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions About AI in Coaching

① Did Laura Harvey actually use AI to make match decisions?

Yes. She used ChatGPT during pre-season to analyze opponents and generate tailored tactical plans.

② What was the most impactful recommendation from the AI?

Switching to a five-defender formation against two specific teams—something she hadn’t previously considered.

③ Did the team’s performance improve after using AI?

Absolutely. OL Reign jumped from second-to-last place last season to fourth place in the current standings.

④ Where did she reveal this story?

On the Soccer-ish podcast, where she openly discussed her use of ChatGPT in tactical planning.

⑤ Can other coaches benefit from this approach?

Definitely. Especially those without large analytics teams—AI tools can offer fast, actionable insights.

⑥ Is this the first time AI has been used in women’s football?

While there may have been private experiments, Harvey’s case is one of the first public, documented examples.

✅ Final Whistle: When Curiosity Meets Courage, Innovation Follows

Laura Harvey’s experiment with ChatGPT wasn’t about chasing trends—it was about solving a real problem with an open mind. In doing so, she didn’t just improve her team’s performance; she expanded the boundaries of what coaching can look like in the age of AI.

Her story reminds us that innovation often starts with a question. And in a sport where every decision counts, the courage to ask that question—especially to a machine—might just be the edge that sets a team apart.

As AI continues to evolve, the coaches who embrace it early will shape the future of the game. Not by replacing instinct, but by enhancing it. Not by surrendering control, but by gaining clarity. And not by fearing change, but by leading it.