The United States Olympic Committee and Nike have joined forces to teach volunteers how to coach children ©USOC

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and Nike have partnered up to create a course to train sports coaches for children called, "How to Coach Kids".

The 30-minute course focuses on how to coach children aged 12 and under by "synthesising industry best practices into easily accessible online and app formats".

It has been put together as pat of the Project Play 2020 initiative, a "multi-year effort" to increase the quality and quantity of volunteer youth coaches in the US.

"We know kids are made to play and when they do, they have the potential to do better in every aspect of their lives,” the general manager of global community Impact at Nike Caitlin Morris said.

"Engaging this generation - the most inactive in history - starts with efforts to equip coaches with the skills and experience to engage kids in sports and keep them coming back to play.

"With 'How to Coach Kids' we’re working to grow the ranks of coaches who make a difference in kids’ lives and communities every day."

It is hoped the course will help keep children active and engaged in sport ©Getty Images
It is hoped the course will help keep children active and engaged in sport ©Getty Images

USOC claim good coaches are "critical" for keeping kids active.

"They’re one of the highest leverage points we have to get kids moving," their release read.

"A coach can inspire individuals and make or break a team, but according to a study conducted by Project Play, only 30 percent of the 6.5 million volunteer youth coaches across the U.S. have received any training.

"As a result, too many kids drop out of the sports or activities they once loved – fueling the inactivity crisis instead of helping to reverse it."

USOC promise the new course will "bridge the foundational training gap in volunteer coaching"while establishing "best coaching practices across several sports".

"We are excited to partner with Nike to launch this important initiative, which we hope will positively shift the paradigm of volunteer youth coaching for current and future generations of kids across the United States," Chris Snyder, USOC director of coaching education, said.

Available modules include "coach kids: An overview of age-appropriate approaches to coaching, plan a great practice: Strategies for creating effective practices and keep kids safe: Essential learnings for keeping kids physically and emotionally safe".

The course is available online at www.howtocoachkids.org, a site described as a "complete resource centre".