Wonderful sports day / athletic festival

[Youth Songs] Songs that liven up sports days and athletic festivals. Music that adds color to the event.

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.

A school sports day is one of those events that stays in your memory as a page of youth! Working together with your teammates in competitions, getting fired up with dances and cheering battles—there’s so much excitement.

And to really liven things up, background music is essential! In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of songs that are perfect for sports day, especially ones that really capture the feeling of youth.

From refreshing melodies, to songs about friendship, to tracks that make you want to start running—these are all timeless classics packed with youthful passion.

Be sure to use them as a reference!

[Youth Songs] Tunes that amp up school sports days and athletic festivals. Tracks that brighten up the competition stage (21–30)

Kono Yubi Tomareyosugala

Yosugala – Kono Yubi Tomare

Kono Yubi Tomareyosugala

This song is memorable for its vocals that stand beside those seeking a ray of hope.

Yosugala’s sincere voice gently reaches the hearts of anyone feeling setback or loneliness.

It’s an empowering anthem filled with the strength and kindness to keep believing in the inner light we all carry and to never give up.

Premiered at the February 2025 hall concert “progress the night -LINE CUBE SHIBUYA-,” the performance moved the entire venue.

It’s perfect for people facing difficulties but striving to move forward, for friends working toward their dreams, and for students hoping to capture a page of youth at cultural and school festivals.

In tough times, this song will give you a reassuring push.

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winding roadNovelbright

Novelbright – Winding Road [Official Music Video]

winding roadNovelbright

Carrying honest feelings and hope in its lyrics, Novelbright’s refreshing cheer song was born in January 2025.

Set to a grand melody and the band’s performance, the courage to overcome life’s hardships resonates deeply in the heart.

The song has been chosen as the theme for the TV Tokyo drama “Dragon of the Court,” and with vocalist Yudai Takenaka’s warm voice, it gently stands by listeners, as if watching over the growth of young people.

I believe it’s a song that gives a powerful push to those who, standing at life’s crossroads, keep moving forward despite their worries.

Brimming with youthful energy, it’s perfect for boosting your spirits before a school sports festival or athletic meet.

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Opening DeclarationNovelbright

Novelbright – Opening Declaration [Official Music Video]

Opening DeclarationNovelbright

It is a highly message-driven song that conveys sincere feelings and a powerful drive toward a bright future.

It vividly depicts youthful figures stepping out from ordinary daily life to chase their dreams with friends.

The passionate resolve to walk together under the vast sky resonates with a grand orchestral sound in this masterpiece.

Released in April 2021 as the title track of the album “Kaimaku Sengen” (Opening Declaration), it has become a signature work symbolizing Novelbright’s major-label debut.

In 2022, it was also selected as the theme song for Nippon TV’s nationwide high school dance club support project on the program “Sukkiri.” This piece is certain to shine as BGM for entrance marches and competitive scenes at sports days and athletics festivals.

It’s the perfect cheer song to boost the feeling of wanting to dash full speed toward your dreams together with your friends.

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migratory bird[Alexandros]

[Alexandros] – Wataridori (MV)

migratory bird[Alexandros]

When it comes to songs that take the excitement of intense events like relays, ball toss games, and tug-of-war to the next level, “Wataridori” tops the list.

Released in 2015 by the band [Alexandros], known for their distinctive rock sound, it has become a beloved staple at school sports days and athletic festivals.

The lyrics, themed around a bird flying endlessly, perfectly match the image of students taking on various events.

With its grand drumming and rhythmic guitar work, it’s a brisk yet passionate rock number that makes you want to start running.

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A Little Love SongAmatsuki

[Original PV] A Small Love Song / MONGOL800 (cover) by Amatsuki

A Little Love SongAmatsuki

Speaking of ‘Chiisana Koi no Uta,’ it’s one of the signature songs by the rock band MONGOL800 and remains a classic staple of the Japanese rock scene, but in this article I’ll dare to introduce a cover version! It’s a cover by Amatsuki, a popular singer especially among younger generations.

His beautiful vocals offer a different charm from the original, yet the same sense of drive and sweet, bittersweet emotion found in the original remains intact.

Covers of masterpieces like this are wonderful too, aren’t they?

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FateOfisharu Higedan Dism

Official HIGE DANDism – Fate [Official Video]

FateOfisharu Higedan Dism

Now a band boasting nationwide popularity, Official Hige Dandism released “Shukumei” in 2019.

It’s a song that cheers on the days spent preparing for sports day and encourages students on the big day itself.

The passionate band sound intertwined with the bright tones of a brass band resonates deeply.

Many will relate to lyrics that honestly express inner anxiety and doubt.

No matter what difficulties lie ahead, this song teaches the importance of forging ahead as yourself.

Be sure to play this number to make an already heated sports day even more exciting.

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Spring SwallowHey! Say! JUMP

Hey! Say! JUMP – Spring Swallow [Official Music Video]

Spring SwallowHey! Say! JUMP

Haru Tsubame, released in 2022 by the male idol group Hey! Say! JUMP, was selected as the theme song for the anime Love All Play, which portrays the youth of a high school badminton team.

The song depicts a bird soaring beyond the sky, delivering a refreshing sound that evokes a clear blue sky.

It’s an upbeat track with a bright, expansive worldview that perfectly matches a sports day where classmates and teammates give it their all.

Why not play this song—rich with their harmonies and brimming with passion and hope—at a sports day that’s sure to set hearts ablaze?

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