USA Eagles coach Mike Friday says young American athletes can realise their sporting dreams by turning to rugby sevens rather than through traditional American sports such as football and basketball.

Friday says that while making the NFL or NBA is the dream of many young Americans, sevens gives young athletes the next best chance of achieving their dreams by going to an Olympics.

Crossover: United States's Nate Ebner in action during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Credit:THEMBA HADEBE

Friday believes the best way to expand rugby in the US is to add the sport to high school sports programs as a way to complement the American super sports of football and basketball, and to potentially create crossover athletes, such as Eagles players Carlin Isles and Perry Baker.

"What we need to do is position rugby at high schools to complement these super sports. If we do that and we become that credible alternative [for that] multi-sport athlete then we see the 99 per cent that don't make it in the NFL or the NBA can come to rugby and be an Olympian and taste that dream," Friday said.