[Sports Day Cheer Songs] A roundup of classic cheer songs and recommended tracks for parody versions
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
- Recommended cheer songs for elementary school students: popular tracks to listen to when you want a boost
- Songs that hype up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals: Japanese Music / J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]
- Carefully selected J-pop to liven up sports days and athletic festivals! Also great as entrance songs.
- Get hyped! A collection of Vocaloid songs to energize your sports day and athletic festival
- [Dance Songs] Recommended for school sports days and athletic festivals! A curated selection of popular tracks that are fun to dance to
- Sports Day/Athletics Festival: Crowd-Pleasing Cheer Battle Ideas and Performances
- [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] Summary of Classic Cheer Anthems and Recommended Songs for Parodies (1–10)
100% CourageNYC
Yuki 100%, famous as the opening theme of the TV anime Nintama Rantaro, was originally a song by Hikaru Genji.
It’s a classic that has been passed down by Johnny’s idols like Hey! Say! JUMP and NYC.
The lyrics—saying that even if you cry or fall down, you just have to be brave and do your best—make it a perfect song for a sports day cheer.
It works great as-is, but you could also try swapping “courage” (yūki) with “championship” (yūshō) or “victory” (shōri).
By all means, turn it into a parody version and have everyone sing your original cheer song!
Maru Maru Mori MoriKaoru to Tomoki, tama ni Mukku.
This catchy song, sprinkled with bright, upbeat wordplay and rhythmic onomatopoeia, is a heartwarming track that gently embraces children’s growth and everyday joys.
Its simple, easy-to-remember melody and lyrics depicting familiar happiness resonate honestly with listeners.
Released in May 2011 as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama “Marumo no Okite,” it marked the debut of Kaoru to Tomoki, Tamani Mook.
It reached No.
3 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and also earned a spot in that year’s NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
With choreography everyone can enjoy and adorable vocals, it’s the perfect song not only as a cheer tune for sports days and athletic meets, but also for school events and any occasion where people want to get energized together.
Mystical, Mysterious Adventure!Takahashi Hiroki
Released in 1986, “Makafushigi Adventure!” is one of the songs used as the theme for the anime Dragon Ball.
It’s sung by Hiroki Takahashi, who’s also known as the vocalist of COME ON BABY.
While the sound is simple, the powerful vocals and lyrics about setting off on an adventure make it perfect for school sports days.
If you’re singing it as a parody, try replacing the lyrics—especially the parts that are also the anime’s title—with words related to a sports festival.
[Sports Day Cheer Songs] A roundup of classic cheer anthems and recommended tracks for parody versions (11–20)
Joyfulikimonogakari
Ikimono-gakari’s song “Joyful” is energetic and exciting—perfect for a fight song! It’s often used in high school baseball, so you may have heard brass bands play it at the ballpark.
The dance from the music video is also used at school sports days.
The chorus lyrics have a great rhythm, so you can easily swap in your school or class name and it’ll still sing well.
Give it a try for your cheer battles and more!
Maximum reachSEKAI NO OWARI
This is a song released by SEKAI NO OWARI in 2023, written specifically as the theme song for the anime One Piece.
Its very uplifting lyrics and gentle yet driving sound are perfect for a sports day setting! The fanfare-like sound in the instrumental break is also dazzling.
Playing it during classic events like relays or the giant ball roll will surely fire everyone up.
If you want to use it as a parody song, how about rewriting the A and B verses to include things your class has worked on so far and singing it that way?
to youMONGOL800
MONGOL800’s signature song “Anata ni” (To You), released in 2001, expresses heartfelt feelings toward someone important.
Its band sound fits perfectly with sports day scenes, and hearing it at a sports day will likely bring to mind the faces of the teammates you’ve worked hard with.
How about using it for cooperative events like the giant ball roll or the three-legged race? If you’re making a parody version, you might replace the title phrase with the word “nakama” (teammates).
You could also write entirely new lyrics with a sports day theme.
Full of dreamsSeki Yumiko
Released in 1990 sung by Yumiko Seki and used as the first opening theme for the anime Chibi Maruko-chan, the song Yume Ippai may be more familiar to parents’ generation.
Its gentle melody and lyrics that feel like setting off toward a dream make it a great fit for sports day scenes.
It’s especially suited to events featuring preschoolers or lower-grade elementary students.
If you make a parody version, it might be nice to replace the line ending in “let’s ~” with words of support or encouragement.