The best sport that will prepare you for cave diving is cave diving.
@rddvet - I don't have a strong opinion on zero-to-hero vs. traditional approach. In the long-term, I do not think it matters that much, as long as people are willing to continue training and learning. How many have dive journals where they analyze dives and then review the analysis before diving again? If you're not willing to learn, you're not going to be good regardless of the agency, instructor, or the training route.
And if you practice often, eventually you'll get the experiences
@CG43 mentioned. The idea is not to get the same "experience" more than once.