But your second paragraph is precisely the problem I was talking about. That isn’t the colorism issue you brought up, which is a legitimate topic. It boils down to an objection that the white guy was beaten by the woman of color. And it’s just an immediate reaction, without knowing anything about the characters. You just reflexively recoil and assume nefarious “PC” reasons.
I may not have been able to find the full scene, but I did find descriptions. TJ is being just as spunky back to Buffy. This makes sense, given they are both competitive sporty types. If TJ seems to be pulling back, it’s only because he’d been so mean to Buffy before, and is in part trying to make amends.
It’s not that it’s a distraction so much as it undermines your other arguments by turning it into yet another debate on whether political correctness is harming our youth. Because that would be the one thing both that and the stated subject of the OP have in common.
The idea that having only diverse character who pass as white could be a problem is, on the other hand, a pretty interesting question. You can ask whether it’s intentional, if they are trying to be diverse while also trying not to piss of people who would complain about being PC. You can ask whether it plays into colorism: the idea that darker skinned people are lesser, whether in beauty or skill.
The question about female empowerment fantasy was also a decent question on its own, albeit one with a pretty clear answer: No, it’s not bad. But the issue of PCness? No. You’re the only one being reflexive.
in terms of athletics, no, there is no point even trying to compete, correct. Why is that basic truth a bad message?
The “guy version” would be a weekend warrior who starts to get a big head so he challenges a professional, who then wipes the floor with him. The difference for girls is they don’t need to find a professional to get humbled; the typical jock guy at the high school or frat house would suffice.
Someone had asked about TV Tropes. The closest fit is PassionateSportsGirl, which doesn’t necessarily mean girls vs boys, but can be if the boy is another trope: Jerk Jock. There is a another trope called “You Go, Girl!”, but that trope is for any activity (video games, etc.) where a girl or woman competes and succeeds in a male-dominated field.
Sports manga and anime, along with their TV and movie adaptations, have a long tradition in Japan and are much more prevalent than in the U.S. No matter the sex of the protagonist, there is a big use of the tiny hero overcoming a hulking brute.
Isn’t it likely though that there is a far larger talent pool for male shooters? If I’m right, we would still expect men to outcompete women in Olympic events on average, even if innate capacity for talent in shooting is equal. (This of course goes the other way: if, as I believe likely, the best male volleyball players would beat the best female players, it’s a testament to innate limitations since it’s far more common for girls to grow up playing the game competitively.)
The manga Farewell My Dear Cramer takes a different tack. The lead character is a talented soccer player, who has just entered high school. Girls soccer isn’t taking seriously in Japan and basically has no fan base. It’s difficult for the coeds to even get time on the field.
The lead character wants to change all that: she wants to raise the bar on girls soccer, prove to Japan that it’s a legit sport by hook or crook. I don’t think the characters are under any illusions though.