to the popular sports through the school system? If elite teams are so important, why shouldn't we be taking the best and hardest working kids and forming archery and pickleball teams?
Some will get the benefits of sport because archery or pickleball meet their interest. Far more would be interested in basketball and therefore get the benefit of sport if it were offered. Probably 4x as many. Given the benefit of sport to youth, we offer them at schools. Why are you so opposed to trying to maximize the number of students who participate?