Yes, you are right.
Joints are the probably the least healthiest and also don't give you the best bang for your buck THC wise.
Yes, Pipes are more effective, but they are still pretty hard on the lungs.
Vaporizers are definitely the way to go if you have extra cash lying around... but from what I have read, it seems like your parents are rather strict and you live at home, so I doubt they would appreciate a vaporizer just lying around in your room.
You can just hit up the Vape Lounge, for $5 / hour (but if its not busy they let you stay longer) and BYOW (Bring your own weed) to use their equipment.
Bong, Pipe and Bubbler all have smoke as well. I've never heard of "Spoon" and "Chillum/Bat". Bongs and pipes are generally a lot more smoother than Joints and Pipes, and the Bubbler is definitely one of the best devices, but however, it still has smoke, but its A LOT less harsh than Pipes.
If you are an athlete, I'd suggest you maybe try cooking your weed. You can mix it into Butter, then cook anything that requires butter. Some ideas are cookies and brownies. You get the biggest bang for your buck this way, but downside is... sometimes it might last a bit longer than you'd hope.
If you don't do it too often, and go for less harsh methods, you shouldn't be able to see a change in your athlete life. I have a buddy who's currently in the Military and he smokes weed. He seems to be doing fine
Hope this helped.