Country 2018

The Champion as a Walkup Song

by Carrie Underwood ft. Ludacris

Preview

Is "The Champion" a good walkup song?

Carrie Underwood's vocal hits with confidence — no slow build. The lyrical theme ('I am the champion') is direct and unambiguous, which makes it ideal for a walkup that wants to declare something. The tempo is fast enough to feel like ignition, slow enough not to rush the at-bat.

Notable players who've used it

The Champion is one of the most-used softball walkups across all levels in 2026. It's also a common team intro song for both baseball and softball programs — the lyrical content fits a competition narrative perfectly. Used by college and high school teams as a season-opening anthem.

How to trim "The Champion" for a walkup

Start at 0:00, run for 18 seconds. Carrie's vocal entrance hits second one. Start at zero.

The trim point is the difference between a great walkup song and a great walkup. A song's first 15-20 seconds rarely happen to be the best 15-20 seconds — most popular tracks have a build, an intro, or a bridge before the hook lands. Pick the slice that hits hardest. The last second of your trim window should land on a peak, right as the player steps into the box.

Best for

• Softball players
• Any hitter
• Team intro

Clean / explicit version notes

"The Champion" has no explicit content — it's safe for any age and any league. No need for a clean version or careful trimming. Pick the song, set the trim, lock it in.

Songs that pair well with "The Champion"

If "The Champion" is on your shortlist, these are the walkup songs players most often consider alongside it. Same vibe, same energy, same kind of moment at the plate.

• Welcome to the Show — Britt Nicole
• Up! — Forrest Frank & Connor Price
• God's Country — Blake Shelton

How to set up "The Champion" for your team

Setting up a walkup song requires three things: an app that handles per-player audio, custom trim points, and one-tap playback on game day.

1. Build your roster in Walkup Pro — assign "The Champion" to the player who picked it
2. Scrub to 0:00 and set the trim duration to 18 seconds
3. Connect a Bluetooth speaker at the field (a JBL Charge or similar will cover any youth field — see our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers for a baseball field)
4. On game day, tap to play as the player walks to the box

For a complete game-day setup walkthrough, see how to play walkup songs at baseball games. For more on what makes a great walkup work, see the anatomy of the perfect walkup song.