FWIW - I had the kit 18-70 lens on my D70s for a long time before adding a Sigma 10-20 and a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 and a Nikkor 50mm f1.8. The Nikkor 18-70 is a very good lens, and I've seen it written that it is better than the 18-55. But I did not do any sports photography.
I think that if you want a general purpose lens then you really need to have one that goes down to 18 at the wide end. Even in sports photography, a wide angle lens can pay dividends in some situations. 28 is not very wide.
Bottom line is if you are going to stay with photography you might as well go with the D80 or you might find yourself upgrading the body in the future, where the D80 might just last you for a long time and you can then concentrate on getting more lenses.
As Dave said - if you arn't, you might as well get the cheaper body and put the money towards the lenses. Only you can make the final choice
BTW - I've got small hands, but I prefer larger cameras.