Let's send our teammates a powerful cheer! A roundup of cheer calls for sports day.

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
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I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

Cheer calls performed during the sports day’s cheer battles and events to support the whole team and your teammates.

When you hear powerful, loud calls shouted in unison with the cheer captain and squad’s cues, you can’t help but think, “Alright, let’s do this!” and feel your energy surge, right?

In this article, we’ve gathered recommended cheer calls for sports day.

We’ll introduce classic calls where everyone shouts together at once, as well as call-and-response chants between the cheer squad and teammates.

Incorporate them into your sports day cheering and give your teammates your full support!

Classics (11–20)

Champions! Champions! We will absolutely win!

A bold, victory-declaring cheer! Here’s an idea for “Champions! Champions! We’re absolutely going to win!” At sports days and athletic festivals, many events have winners and losers.

Why not add a high-energy cheer to your support that’s powerful enough to make the opposing team’s hearts skip a beat? Students who receive the cheer “Champions! Champions! We’re absolutely going to win!” will undoubtedly gain courage from such strong words from their teammates.

Their bodies will brim with power, and they might even perform beyond their usual ability.

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We’re Class ◯! Think you can take down Class ◯?

Phrases that evoke a united team and provocative messages really amp up the energy during cheering battles.

Confident messages can overwhelm the opposing team while igniting your own side’s unity and morale.

These are words that fire you up even when only the cheer squad shouts them, but if everyone joins in for the “Class ___!” part, it can boost team spirit and motivation even more.

It’s simple, easy-to-understand English with real power—definitely a set of phrases worth using.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Call-and-response type (11–20)

Next, we’ll introduce the call-and-response chants performed by the cheer squad and teammates! If you can deliver a well-synchronized call and response, you’re sure to earn high marks in the cheer battle.

Above all, because it encourages teammates to cheer each other on, it will strengthen the team’s unity.

Since call and response requires perfect coordination between the cheer squad and the teammates, practice beforehand is essential.

Practice thoroughly—without straining your voice—and give your very best cheer on the day of the sports festival!

Call-and-response type (1–10)

“When you think of XX?” “YY!”

Let’s promote our team with a call-and-response game inspired by team colors! If your team is the Yellow Team, put something yellow in the “___” part of “When you think of ___.” For example: “the color of lemons,” “the color of giraffes,” or “the color of Pooh.” In response, shout your team’s color—“Yellow!”—loud and proud to showcase not only your team but also your team spirit.

It’s a good idea to brainstorm lots of ideas in advance so you can use many different patterns.

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SAKI

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“I want to see Class ◯ win!” “Me too!”

Let’s go for the championship with this call-and-response that’s all about the will to win! It’s also great to customize the “championship” part to things like “first place,” “gold medal,” or “glory.” The leader—like a cheer captain—should make the call with the mindset of “Do you want to see us win the championship?!” Those responding should answer with a heartfelt “We do!” packed with the determination of “We’ll win no matter what!” and “We’re going to take the title!” This call will give the whole team’s morale a powerful boost.

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SAKI

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“This year Class ◯ will win!” “Yeah!”

Let’s express our determination to definitely win the championship this year with this call-and-response! For the first half—“This year, Class ◯ will be the champions!”—say it in a way that hypes up the whole crowd, and you’ll get an even more fired-up “That’s right!” in response.

It’s also great to swap “this year” with specific events like “In the relay” or “In the ball toss.” Keep the energy high, hold on to that unshakable resolve to win no matter what, and give this call-and-response everything you’ve got!

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SAKI

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“Who will win?” “We will!”

It’s a message that powerfully declares, in a call-and-response style, that we are the ones who will seize victory.

To the question “Who’s going to win?” everyone answers, “We are,” expressing the team’s bond and momentum.

By steadily layering our determination to aim for victory, it also conveys the intention to support one another and bring out our strength.

Because it follows the flow of everyone raising their voices together on cue, it’s a perfect fit for a pre-competition huddle situation.

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“Knock it out, Class ◯! Beat Class △!” “Yeah!”

Let’s try cheering on the team in a baseball-style cheer! The word “kattobase” is often used at baseball games with the hope that the batter will really knock the ball far—hit a home run.

Just like the force of the ball flying off the bat, let’s use this chant at the sports day to cheer everyone on to go all out in the various events.

It might also be fun to keep a steady tempo like a baseball cheer, tapping out the rhythm with a megaphone as you chant!

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SAKI

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