And I'll add that, for the lower end of the SES and academic achievement spectrum, which does overlap disproportionately with less-involved parents (making no judgement on why they are less-involved), there is a decent amount of research suggesting that involving those students in organized team sports has beneficial effects on their academic achievement and other positive life outcomes. For those children, sport is a way of helping them stay engaged in school and their futures.
I am also not an athlete, nor do I have children for whom post-secondary athletics are a high likelihood, but I do think there is a place for sports, in balance. We've been blessed in our children's sports experiences with coaches who love their sports, but prioritize them beneath generally being a whole person.
