A funny athletes’ oath to liven up the start of the sports day

We pledge to hold a hot-blooded, full-on sports festival fair and square!

A sports festival held under the blazing sun.

This is a speech that shines a light on the small hardships felt in that setting.

By adding the striking phrase “stiflingly hot” to the classic athlete’s oath greeting, attention is drawn to the person delivering the declaration.

By deliberately expressing the rising excitement for the event in a self-deprecating way, it creates an image of cooling things down.

It encourages nervous participants to relax, while also conveying a sense of calling on everyone to do their best together, even if it’s a bit awkward.

I pledge to spend the day happily and without injury, not in the spirit of sportsmanship, but fair and square!

Speaking of oaths, the standard is usually a passionate, athlete-like declaration rooted in sportsmanship.

But here, we’ll introduce a slightly more playful ‘oath that strays from sportsmanship.’ For example: “We hereby swear that we will not abide by sportsmanship; instead, we’ll keep things injury-free, get along with everyone, have fun like splashing around in a night pool, take plenty of breaks, load up on juice and ice cream, and hype up the sports day!” Try crafting the oath as if EXIT’s Kanekin (Rintaro Kanekichi) were delivering it!

I pledge to abide solely by giving it my all and having fun, rather than by sportsmanship, and to not tell people around me tomorrow that I got sore muscles because of the sports day!

There’s a classic phrase used in athletes’ oaths: “We hereby pledge to compete fairly and honorably, in the spirit of sportsmanship.” A playful twist on that is: “We hereby pledge to abide not by sportsmanship, but solely by having as much fun as possible, and to make sure we don’t tell people tomorrow that the sports day left us with sore muscles!” It may look like a joke at first glance, but it actually carries the message: let’s have a blast.

Make it a sports day so fun that you end up with muscle soreness.

do/group gymnastics (Japanese school “kumi-taiso”)

The athlete’s oath at our high school sports day was way too funny lol

It’s a scene where the athlete steps up to the microphone, performs a group gymnastics routine, and delivers an oath.

The sudden switch to group gymnastics after a calm entrance, followed by the oath beginning as if nothing unusual happened, really raises expectations for the content of the oath itself.

It could be fun to keep one formation while proceeding with the oath, but having the routine change partway through would also be enjoyable.

Since the angle will let the principal see the group gymnastics from close range, we’d like the performer to be particular about their expressions and really showcase the routine.

Keep changing your voice more and more.

[Zushi Kaisei] 2022 High School Sports Festival – Athletes’ Oath

When several people are taking the athlete’s oath, it might be fun if just one person uses a slightly different voice.

If it’s a man, using an unusually high-pitched or cute voice might draw attention.

And what if only one person starts with the strange voice, surprising the others at first—but before you know it, everyone has shifted to a similar voice… That kind of approach is also recommended.

It’s a funny idea, but to avoid getting scolded for fooling around, make sure the content of the oath and your attitude toward delivering it remain sincere!

Make a friendly pledge together

Athlete’s Oath 2024 Sports Festival [Sasebo Girls’ High School] #shorts

I think the players’ oath is often delivered by one or a few representatives.

As an unexpected twist, how about having everyone recite it together? If it’s difficult to involve the entire student body, it could be done by the designated representatives for the oath, or by each team.

It’s surprisingly hard to keep the wording perfectly aligned, but if you manage it, you can showcase the team’s unity and boost morale.

Decide and share breathing points in advance, and make sure to align your speaking pace beforehand as well.

Do it like a two-person manzai comedy routine.

[Free Control Material] Fun Late Night #14: Player’s Oath

Some people might associate standing in front of a microphone and speaking with manzai comedy.

A player’s oath themed around manzai could be interesting, too.

You could take inspiration from existing player’s oaths as a motif, or even mix in a few small jokes that have nothing to do with the sports day.

Because it’s a moment where you project your voice loudly, the “boke” (the goofy lines) will likely come across clearly, but it might be harder to keep the “tsukkomi” (sharp retorts) crisp.

It seems like a piece where the rhythm of the dialogue and a light, lively exchange of words will be important.