But the price of entry is pretty high.
My wife and I do a good bit of wildlife photography. We just went to Costa Rica and got shots of birds that the folks with the DSLR couldn't even get the camera ready.
As far as response time the newer P&S have great burst modes. You can snap off 2-10 shots in a second. That will help you get the shot better than trying to time it.
Her late \st camera is an Olympus with a 35X zoom lens. But her previous camera is a Lumix. I think it is a little better camera. So I would seriously look at this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FZ40-Digital-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/dp/B003WJR694/ref=pd_cp_p_1
At $300 it is less than the flash for some of the cameras listed above. If you try it and don't like it (for indoor sports) you will still find it a great all around camera and then you can look at plunking down the price of a decent motor scooter for one of the DSLRs they are talking about.
Here is a shot taken with our older lumix (18X zoom).
http://northcountyoutlook.com/news/article.exm/2008-10-09_osprey_nesting_sites_rescued
Dang I can’t figure out how to post the picture. but it is the top one in the article. Taken from a moving boat.