[Make Sports Day More Approachable!] Unique Event Names: Fun Competition Titles by Category

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.
Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

Sports festivals are one of the big events for students, aren’t they?

And even among working adults, there are people who join company or community sports days and enjoy them just like students do.

Did you know that lately some sports day events have been given amusing names?

In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of humor-filled, unique event names—from ones that make you chuckle to cleverly crafted titles that are truly impressive.

Teachers and organizing committee members who are deciding on sports day event names, please feel free to use these as inspiration.

We hope this helps make your sports day even more exciting.

Other events (1–10)

Yes, Fall in Love! (Folk Dance)

How about the title “Yes, Fall in Love!” for a folk dance that showcases perfect coordination? It uses the comedy duo Fall in Love’s routine as is.

Just like Barbie and Hajime’s well-synced act, expectations will build for a wonderfully synchronized dance!

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem

Reiwa of Mounted Destruction (Cavalry Battle)

The title “Kimetsu no Reiwa” is a perfect name for a cavalry battle.

It borrows the title of the globally bestselling manga “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.” Keeping the same reading for “Kimetsu” but changing the kanji to “騎めつ” (using the character for “mounted/horseback”), and replacing “刃” (blade) with the era name “Reiwa,” it evokes a fighting spirit—as if we’re about to head out on a real hunt or into battle.

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem

Unprecedented and unparalleled! An ultra-intense, mind-blowing mass gaaaame! (mass game)

This piece, titled “Unprecedented! Ultra-intense Mass Gaaame!” is an adaptation of Sunshine Ikezaki’s routine, known for its loud self-introduction bit.

Just from the title, you can tell what event is about to start! Despite the fiery title, mass games themselves have a dignified atmosphere, and that contrast is part of the fun.

Definitely consider using it as inspiration!

Raise the rankinglower

SAKI

Report a problem

Official HIGE DANDism sing

A title perfect for a dance competition that playfully riffs on the name of the popular band Official HIGE DANDism.

It has a stylish flair that will delight music lovers.

Using Official HIGE DANDism’s songs as the dance theme not only makes it easy to move naturally with the rhythm, but also fosters a sense of unity since the audience will be familiar with the music.

Adding the word “sing” evokes a free style of dancing as if singing, and suggests rich expressive possibilities.

By incorporating the band’s worldview into costumes and choreography, and adding creative stage direction, you can achieve the excitement of a music festival.

It’s an idea that brings a fresh breeze to school sports festivals with a program title that’s fun to listen to and fun to dance to.

Raise the rankinglower

mutō

Report a problem

Don’t just drift through life!

When it comes to NHK’s popular show “Don’t Sleep Through Life! Chico Will Scold You!” (Chiko-chan ni Shikarareru!), Chico-chan’s catchphrase is “Don’t just space out and live your life!” If a guest can’t answer a question or gives the wrong answer, no matter who they are, they get scolded with this line.

So why not borrow this famous phrase and name the stick-pulling sport “Don’t Just Stick Around and Live Your Life!”? The show is popular among parents’ and grandparents’ generations as well, so it will surely spark more interest in the sport.

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem

Are you backing out? Like, seriously?!

When you think of the beauty expert and TV personality IKKO, her signature catchphrase “Dondake~!” immediately comes to mind.

How about using that line to name the stick-pulling event “Bō hiku no? Dondake~” (“You’re pulling the stick? Dondake~”)? It’s a humorous event name that will make parents chuckle when they see the program.

If you also come up with a funny introduction for the program, it’ll make the sports day or athletic festival even more exciting.

And when cheering, be sure everyone shouts “Dondake~!” together!

Raise the rankinglower

sasashina

Report a problem

Other Events (11–20)

Reiwa BASARA

A title that renders the intensity of cavalry battles even more dramatic, arranging the fervor of a Sengoku-era–themed game in a modern style.

“BASARA” carries connotations of the outrageous and the bold, symbolizing a free and daring spirit befitting the Reiwa era.

Because cavalry battles demand both strength and strategy, their tension and heat align perfectly with this naming.

Incorporating banners and formations as part of the staging evokes the atmosphere of a full-scale battle, boosting participants’ morale.

It’s a standout event name that adds a fresh interpretation to a traditional competition, delivering both historical romance and humor to spectators.

Raise the rankinglower

mutō

Report a problem