[Sports Day Cheer Songs] A roundup of classic cheer anthems and recommended parody-song picks [2026]
Cheer songs and background music are essential for sports days and athletic festivals! Classic staples that make you want to start running the moment you hear them are a given, but it’s also long been common to rewrite the lyrics of popular J-pop songs and sing them as parodies.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of Japanese songs that are perfect for cheering at school sports events! Of course, we’ve also picked out songs that will hype up the crowd even if you sing them as-is.
Be sure to read through to the end!
- Top Songs to Hype Up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals [2026]
- Cheer songs to hype up the sports day! A collection of motivational tracks recommended for kids
- Songs that hype up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals: Japanese Music / J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]
- Recommended cheer songs for elementary school students: popular tracks to listen to when you want a boost
- [2026] Curated J-POP to Energize Sports Days and Athletic Festivals! Also Great as Entrance Music
- [Dance Tracks] Perfect for School Sports Days! A Curated Selection of Fun, Popular Songs to Dance To [2026]
- Sports Day/Athletics Festival: Crowd-Pleasing Cheer Battle Ideas and Performances
- Get hyped! A collection of Vocaloid songs to energize your sports day and athletic festival
- [Youth Songs] Songs that liven up sports days and athletic festivals. Music that adds color to the event.
- Recommended cheer-up songs for middle schoolers: Classic Japanese hits that will empower student life
- [To All Athletes] Inspirational Sports Anthems & Empowering Theme Songs
- Before a match or when you feel like giving up! Cheer songs to keep you going in club activities
- Let's send our teammates a powerful cheer! A roundup of cheer calls for sports day.
[Sports Day Cheer Songs] A roundup of classic cheer anthems and recommended tracks for parody versions [2026] (81–90)
ultra soulB’z
The song that turns a high-spirited sports day into something like a live concert is “ultra soul.” Released in 2001 by the music duo B’z, who have been active since the late 1980s, it was selected as the official theme song for the Fukuoka 2001 World Aquatics Championships.
Its Latin-tinged, energetic band sound rings out, and Koshi Inaba’s powerful vocals—holding their own against the rock-driven arrangement—are sure to inspire courage.
It’s an up-tempo tune that will fire up not only the students but the teachers as well.
If everyone sings the phrase at the end of the chorus together, it’s guaranteed to bring the excitement to a peak!
Heaven and HellOfufenbakku
This piece boasts overwhelming power and brilliance, expressing the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology with a lively rhythm.
Created by Offenbach as a satire of 19th-century French society, it is still widely used today as a staple at school sports days.
Premiered in October 1858 at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens in Paris, it achieved an astonishing 228 performances by the following year.
Its dynamic melody and strong beat make it perfect as an entrance march for athletic festivals and sports events.
Everyone can clap along and get excited together, and it also works well as a cheering song for competitions.
With a familiar tune that people of all ages have likely heard at least once, it’s a charming work that naturally brings smiles to both audiences and performers.
Mickey Mouse MarchBEAT CRUSADERS
You know that familiar Mickey Mouse March? This version is arranged in a punk style by BEAT CRUSADERS.
Even though it’s punk, it’s still the Mickey Mouse March, so it’s adorable.
With Beat Crusaders’ pop vibe baked in, how about using it as a fun, upbeat song for a sports day?
Give it some guts!!Urufuruzu
Released in 1995, this song is like the very hallmark of Ulfuls, isn’t it? I kind of had the impression they debuted with it, but it turns out Ulfuls went through a rough period before “Guts Da Ze!!” became a hit.
It’s a timeless classic that will be listened to for years to come.
A Tiny Bit of CourageFUNKY MONKEY BABYS
It was released in 2007 as FUNKY MONKEY BABYS’ fifth single.
It was used as the May opening theme for Nippon TV’s “Music Fighter” and as an insert song in the film “The 700 Days’ War with the Police Officer.” It reached No.
8 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, and it’s a song that teaches the importance of mustering just a little bit of courage.
YOUNG MAN (Y.M.C.A.)Saijō Hideki
It was released in 1979 as Hideki Saijo’s 28th single.
It became his biggest hit, and as a piece of disco music, it’s a song that arranges the Village People’s then-hit “Y.M.C.A.” into a youth-oriented kayō-pop style.
Even today, it remains popular as a song for sports days, athletic festivals, and cheering at high school baseball games.
[Sports Day Cheer Songs] A roundup of classic cheer songs and recommended tracks for parody versions [2026] (91–100)
New EraAdo
Ado’s song “New Genesis,” the theme song for the animated film ONE PIECE FILM RED, is a lively, high-energy number full of speed.
It’s perfect both as a dance track for sports days or school performances and as a cheer song with rewritten lyrics.
With an 80s techno-pop vibe, it’s a refreshing, driving, and powerful track.
Its brisk, run-inducing tempo matches dance routines and is sure to shine at events like sports festivals.
Take center stage at your sports day with choreography that’s easy to dance to yet irresistibly cool.
