will sports help with my admission?

It depends on how well you are at the sport. If you're proficient enough, you can be recruited to a school as a recruited athlete (D1, D2, or D3). D1 and some D2 athletes get a full ride, while most D2 athletes get a partial scholarship. D3 athletes don't usually get scholarships, however.

If you decide to use sports as a topic in your admissions essay, be sure to steer clear from the stereotypical "sports essay" if you want to get into more selective schools. Even if you don't plan on applying to top schools, making your essay as unique as possible can't hurt. Even if you aren't invested or proficient enough at your sport, think about how it has affected your character, your identity, the way you think and live, and maybe that will provide a basis for your college apps. SuperTutorTV has lots of great resources on their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperTutorTV), and it's all free. They have videos about essays and extracurriculars and SAT/ACT prep, and pretty much everything you could ask for.