How I Built a Basketball Rotation App in One Weekend (With AI Help)

📅 January 11, 2026

As a tech teacher and parent, I spend a lot of time teaching kids that technology is a tool for solving real problems. But there’s a difference between telling students “you can build anything” and actually showing them it’s true.

This weekend, I did both. I built a working web app to solve a coaching problem I’ve been wrestling with all season—and I did it using the same maker mindset I teach my students.

This same workflow transfers directly to classroom projects: identify a real problem, prototype a simple tool, test it with users, and iterate.

The Problem: Fair Playing Time Is Hard

I coach my kid’s basketball team, and like most youth coaches, I struggle with keeping rotations fair. Six players, four on the court at a time, trying to make sure everyone gets equal minutes while also keeping the right combinations together.

I’d been using a whiteboard and mental math. It was stressful, error-prone, and took focus away from actually coaching the game.

I needed a tool. But I didn’t want to download some bloated app with ads and accounts. I wanted something simple, fast, and purpose-built for my exact situation.

So I built it.

The Maker Mindset: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create

Sound familiar? It’s the same design process we use in makerspace.

ASK: What’s the problem?
I need to track which players are on the court and bench, ensure fair playing time, and plan rotations ahead of time.

IMAGINE: What could a solution look like?
A simple web app. No login, no install. Just open it on my phone during games.

PLAN: What tools do I need?
This is where it gets interesting. In the past, I would have spent weeks learning JavaScript frameworks. But in 2026, we have AI tools that can help us build faster.

CREATE: Let’s make it happen.

Building With AI: A New Kind of Making

Here’s the thing: I didn’t write all the code from scratch. I used Claude (an AI assistant) as a collaborator—just like students might use Scratch blocks or Tinkercad templates.

I described what I wanted:
“I need a 4v4 basketball rotation planner. Track 6 players, 4 on court, 2 on bench. Let me drag players to swap positions. Show total minutes for fairness.”

Claude helped me build it:

I made it mine:

The result? A fully functional web app, hosted for free on GitHub Pages, that I use every game.

You can try it yourself: rotations.maker404.com

What This Means for Teachers and Parents

This project taught me three things I want my students (and my own kids) to understand:

1. You Don’t Need to Be a “Programmer” to Build Things

I’m a tech teacher, but I’m not a professional software developer. I used AI as a tool—like using a saw instead of carving wood with a knife. The tool doesn’t make you less of a maker; it helps you make faster.

2. Real Problems Make the Best Projects

I didn’t build this app for a grade or a portfolio. I built it because I needed it. That motivation kept me going when I hit bugs and roadblocks. This is why project-based learning works—students solve problems they care about.

3. The Maker Process Works for Everything

Whether you’re building a cardboard creature in 3rd grade or a web app as an adult, the process is the same:

From Classroom to Real World

So here’s what I tell my students now:

The stuff we do in makerspace? It’s not just for fun. It’s for life.

When you learn to prototype with cardboard and tape, you’re learning the mindset to solve any problem. When you get comfortable with failure and iteration, you’re building resilience that applies to everything—from science fair projects to starting a business to coaching a basketball team.

And when you see your teacher build something real using the same process we practice in class? You start to believe that you can build something real too.

Want to Try It Yourself?

For Teachers:
Think about a problem you face in your classroom. Can technology help? Try describing it to an AI tool (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.) and see what it suggests. You might be surprised at what you can build.

For Parents:
Got a problem that needs solving? Show your kids the process. Let them see you struggle, iterate, and celebrate when it works. That’s the real lesson.

For Students:
What problem do you want to solve? Maybe it’s a game, a tool to help with homework, or something to make your life easier. Start small. Ask questions. Build something.

Tech Stack (For the Curious)

For those interested in the technical details:

Bottom line: Technology isn’t magic. It’s just tools and problem-solving—the same stuff we teach in makerspace. If a busy parent and teacher can build a working app in a weekend, imagine what our students can do.

Let’s show them what’s possible.

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