Sports tropes don't really matter all that much if they have good storytelling or something else around them to set them apart.
Chihayafuru, for example, uses the trope of high school kids struggling to form their own competitive club. Yes, they do come from "out of nowhere" to be contenders but the main characters are already high tier individual players. Any team they joined would instantly be a threat.
What makes Chihayafuru special is that it goes beyond that. The series quickly takes us back to elementary school to show us why the game of Karuta is so important to the main characters. It shows us the basis of their dreams, fears, joys, and regrets, which establishes them as meaningful in the future.
(Chibi Chi-chan)
(who turns into this)
(who is also this)
