運動会 a sports day

I have written a bit about a "sports day" in Japan.  blog of Sept. 7

It was held yesterday at our school in Takayama
although we had a rather gloomy day.

The whole school had been divided into two big groups,
"team red" and "team white."
My son was in team red and my daughter, team white.

Since they were in different teams
we decided to simply have fun cheering everyone : )

The games and competitions in Takayama are
not much different from other schools I guess
but the part I love the most is the "cheering competition."

They probably spend longer practicing time here
and they have two different traditional cheering songs
that has been sung over a long period of time.

The traditional Japanese cheering style with
whistles and drums with a little bit of a modern touch
arranged by students from 5th and 6th grades
are soooo exciting to watch.

Even the tiny first graders in the first roles were
shouting and cheering in their loudest voice
to win the competition.

It is always fun, exciting and impressing to watch children
putting their utmost effort in winning each and every game.

昨日の高山はかなりどんよりとした一日でしたが、
無事にキッズの運動会が開催され、ホッとしているところです。

息子は赤組
娘は白組

どちらにも勝ってほしいので、
もうひたすら全ての競技を応援することだけに集中しました♪

高山の競技で一番大好きなのは
「応援合戦」です。

恐らく他の学校よりも随分長い時間をかけて
練習をするのでしょう。
こちらの「応援」の迫力と熱にとにかく胸を打たれます。

どれくらい古いのでしょうか、
長い間受け継がれてきた
「第一応援歌」と「第二応援歌」を
赤団も白団もそれぞれの応援合戦に
必ずその両方を組み込みます。
その際、前列に並ぶ、小さな一年生までもが
体を大きく揺らしながら、
出せる最大の声を出して応援する姿に
毎回涙が出てしまうんだな。

子供たちの「一生懸命な姿」は
いつ見ても感動的ですよね。