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

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.

to dance

Leader's Oath 2014

To make the athletes’ oath that marks the start of the sports day more lively, how about incorporating a dance? Perform a dance to songs everyone knows—like tracks from popular idol groups or current hits—to boost the overall sense of unity.

It could be fun to dance during the entrance and then transition seamlessly into the oath as if nothing happened.

The key will be deciding at which point in the oath to include the dance and how to build excitement throughout.

to dress up (in costume); to disguise oneself; to wear a costume

Iki Athlete’s Oath Kaonashi (1st-year Takuya)

When the athlete giving the oath takes the stage in a distinctive look—like appearing as a familiar character—that alone draws attention.

While the concept can work purely on visuals, you’ll probably want to be thoughtful about the overall structure, too.

If the costumed character is taciturn and their partner fills in the gaps, the segment will take twice as long, but it lets you highlight the character’s personality.

You could also imitate the character’s manner of speaking—crafting an athlete’s oath that matches the costume could be a fun idea.

If two people are taking the stage, I recommend having only one of them in costume to create a striking contrast.

Say it all in dialect.

I tried doing the athletes’ pledge in a rural dialect.

In the athlete’s oath, you can express both the joy and determination of being able to hold the sports festival, while also conveying gratitude to the place where you grew up.

By delivering the entire oath in a local dialect, you can showcase individuality and communicate deep affection for your hometown.

At a sports festival where people who grew up in the same area gather, it will foster a sense of shared understanding; in situations where people from various regions come together, it can highlight a refreshing sense of novelty.

It’s interesting to craft it in an easy-to-understand dialect, but it also seems fun to research and incorporate words that are no longer commonly used even in your own region.

In a relay format of tidbits

[Choshin Juku New Material] I Want to Do the Players’ Oath at Koshien!

If you want to get laughs or have multiple people do the athletes’ pledge, we recommend performing a series of short gags in a relay style.

For example, you can have several people take turns saying something funny.

If it’s nonstop jokes, the energy can drag, so have one person play the straight man.

Including jokes that only a group can pull off will make it even more exciting.

Another tip is to keep the pacing brisk.

To keep the audience from getting bored, pack in one laugh after another.

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.

Impromptu Athletes’ Oath

@togetoge5ch

[Missed-episode streaming has started] “A night to update the sports day.” Kano’s idea: impromptu athletes’ oath implemented!! Kawakita and Fukuda take on the challenge!! Watch the rest on TVer!!https://tver.jp/lp/episodes/epd15mc04h…

♬ Original Song – Togetoge TV [TV Asahi Official] – Togetoge TV [TV Asahi Official]

Many people probably take their time thinking carefully about what to say before stepping up to make the athletes’ pledge.

Most will also practice in advance.

However, there’s no rule that you absolutely have to do so.

With that in mind, I’d like to propose doing the athletes’ pledge improvised.

You might come up with amusing lines or moving phrases that only improvisation can produce.

You could even throw a tricky, impromptu “pass” to your partner.

That said, it’s risky, so I hope you’ll proceed with caution while giving it a try.