Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

Cheer songs to hype up the sports day! A collection of motivational tracks recommended for kids

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.
POPS writer/editorKEI
Since discovering music during my school days, I’ve mainly listened to Japanese and Korean pop. I have experience writing articles for sites like Utaten. 2000s J-pop and 2010s K-pop were especially the soundtrack of my youth. With the mindset that “good is good,” I enjoy music across genres. Thanks to past work environments and their influence, I was exposed to lots of classic rock and kayōkyoku (Japanese popular songs), which may have broadened the scope of what I love. At RAG MUSIC, I currently focus on K-pop and J-pop. I strive to edit with a feel for the scene and an eye for hit potential.

Many teachers probably struggle to choose cheer songs that will liven up Sports Day.If it’s the same every year, it gets boring, but if it’s a song no one knows, it can fall flat.So we’ve gathered a selection of popular and classic tracks!They’re all well-known songs you’ve likely heard on TV and elsewhere, so both kids and adults can enjoy them.What’s more, when children perform as the cheer squad, it’s fun to create parody lyrics of the featured songs to add a unique touch!Use this as a guide to find the perfect cheer songs to energize your Sports Day!

Cheer songs to fire up the sports day! A collection of motivation-boosting tracks recommended for kids (21–30)

RunLittle Glee Monster

『Run』 – Little Glee Monster

RunLittle Glee Monster

This song, marked by its bright, uplifting message and powerful vocals, is an ambitious work by Little Glee Monster.

It emphasizes the importance of continuing to run toward your dreams and goals, serving as a cheer for those taking a new step forward.

Included on the album “Ambitious,” released in March 2025, it is a collaborative song created with Meiji Probio Yogurt R-1 to support new first-grade elementary school students.

Combining an energetic rhythm with a message that resonates in the heart, it’s perfect as a theme song for school events and culture festivals.

Humming it with friends or singing it on stage will help create irreplaceable memories.

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Go! Go! Go!Hashimoto Yoshiji

♪ Go Go Go (Sports Day Song) Cheer Battle [with choreography]

Go! Go! Go!Hashimoto Yoshiji

Go Go Go is a school sports day song created by composer Shoji Hashimoto, who was involved in composing and arranging many choral works as an exclusive composer for Kyoiku Geijutsu Sha.

The song was completed by Hashimoto based on a cheer song his son, who attended Kasukabe City Tateno Elementary School in Saitama Prefecture, had made at school.

It was later included in music textbooks and has since become a standard song sung at sports days in schools across Japan.

You can just picture children singing it with strength and cheering each other on.

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FateOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Fate [Official Video]

FateOfisharu Higedan Dism

A track by Official HIGE DANDism released in 2019.

It was chosen as the ABC Summer High School Baseball support song for 2019 and as the theme song for “Nettou Koshien,” becoming a staple cheer song for the heated summer battles of high school ballplayers.

It carries a determination to shoulder one’s fate and fight with all one’s might, raising a ruckus.

For memories you can only make right now, it’d be great to give the school sports day that same level of effort, too!

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Wake up!AAA

AAA / 「Wake up!」Music Video

Wake up!AAA

This song became a hit after being chosen as the opening theme for the anime One Piece.

It’s a track by AAA, a six-member co-ed music group.

It was released in 2014 as their 41st single.

The lyrics express the determination to keep moving forward to seize your dreams.

With its uplifting and refreshing sound, it’s perfect as a cheer song for a school sports festival.

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100% CourageHikaru GENJI

[Cheering Song] 100% Courage / Nintama Rantarō [covered by Yūki Kuroki]

100% CourageHikaru GENJI

When it comes to classic pep songs often played at school sports days, many people probably think of Hikaru Genji’s “100% Courage.” As it has been used as the theme song for NHK’s anime “Nintama Rantaro” for over 25 years, it’s a well-known and beloved masterpiece across a wide range of ages.

With lyrics featuring words like “sun,” “youth,” “adventure,” and “courage” that evoke children, it’s hard not to feel your heart swell.

There’s also a version arranged as a march, making it suitable for a variety of scenes—background music for events and dances, or entrance and exit marches—so it’s practically a must-have track for any sports day!

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lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

Mrs. GREEN APPLE “Lilac” Official Music Video

lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE

A work that delicately portrays the radiance and bitterness of youth, as well as the conflicts that come with growing up, was released by Mrs.

GREEN APPLE in April 2024.

Gently wrapping bittersweet memories and the dawn of new love, the song has been selected as the opening theme for the TV Tokyo anime “Oblivion Battery,” winning the hearts of listeners across generations.

It strikes a superb balance between a powerful melody riding on a brisk rhythm and lyrics that finely depict the inner heart.

Within Mrs.

GREEN APPLE’s characteristically bright, pop sound, the anxieties and hopes unique to youth—and the way we face ourselves—are skillfully interwoven, making it a motivating anthem for practice ahead of school sports days and athletic festivals.

At the 66th Japan Record Awards, it won the Grand Prize, marking the first-ever back-to-back victory by a band.

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CharacterRyokushokushakai

Ryokuoushoku Shakai 'Character' Official Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Character

CharacterRyokushokushakai

A song included on the album “Actor,” released by Ryokuoushoku Shakai in January 2022.

It’s a motivational anthem infused with a message of boosting self-esteem.

It was also used as the commercial song for “Juken ni in Jelly 2022.” The image of someone earnestly dedicating themselves and working hard fits perfectly not only with sports, but also with school sports days.

We’d love for children who are active in many school events to listen to this track! Its bright melody and uplifting lyrics are easy for younger kids to relate to, making it a perfect choice for a kindergarten or nursery school sports day parachute routine.

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