Urban’s spring athletes compete against other Bay Area high schools from February through May. From speed-focused sports such as swimming and track to team sports like lacrosse and baseball, students are diving, sprinting, shooting and sliding into the spring season.
Two hundred nineteen students participate in Urban’s nine varsity sports teams and four junior varsity sports teams across nine sports during the spring season. A fairly even amount of students from each grade participate in spring sports, with freshmen being the highest at 61 participants and seniors being the lowest at 46 participants.
This large variety of participants can connect students across grades. “As a freshman, I didn’t really know that many upperclassmen, … but I definitely got to meet a lot of juniors and seniors … by doing track,” said track and field athlete Calvin Grimes ’28, who joined the team his freshman year.
Each spring sport has no more than two teams, divided by skill level, and some may only have one. In contrast, certain fall and winter sports – such as girls volleyball and boys basketball – have three teams each. Having fewer teams per sport can influence the community of players. “There’s [usually] just one team per program. And so there’s less cuts or competitiveness, [which makes it] a more inclusive season,” said Director of Physical Activities, Associate Athletic Director Kali Heys.
Upperclassmen often act as role models for sports teams’ younger members. “It is up to the seniors to build the community of what they want the team to be, because everybody younger is looking up to [them],” varsity girls lacrosse captain Miriam Endelman ’26 said.
Many seniors serve as team captains for spring sports. “I have to lead the mentality of the team alongside my other captains and basically prepare them for what’s to come,” said Noli Rosen ’26, varsity softball captain. “It makes me excited for the next season knowing that they all have each other to rely on.”
Additionally, spring athletics are seniors’ last opportunity to play a high school sport. “I think of it as like the last hurrah. … It’s one last season to really build something and make it last and make it feel really meaningful and special,” Endelman said.
Many student-athletes enjoy having spring sports close out the school year. “The spring season is nice because you make a bond with your team that you know is going to continue,” said Zoe Cashman ‘26, varsity girls lacrosse captain. “Mentally, it helps me not plateau as much in my schoolwork and stuff like that, because I have something to do after school every day.”
For some, the spring season itself provides relief from the stress of school. “I feel like the season just uplifts everyone. To me, winter feels like a time where I have to be super locked in on school. … But in spring there are more activities and there’s more stuff to do,” varsity boys baseball team captain Aaron Knupp ’27 said.
The feeling of summer approaching can affect how students enjoy the sports season. “Towards the end of the year, everybody’s spirits are so much higher … and we can just have fun with each other,” Endelman said.
Sports that practice outdoors get to enjoy the spring season’s weather. “A warm atmosphere makes everyone happier in general,” Cashman said. “It’s usually warm towards the end [of the season], and you get really nice sunset practices if you’re at Beach Chalet.”
In addition to sunnier days, spring in San Francisco also brings rain. “It’s fun to do workouts in the rain because you’re the only people at the track — it’s special,” Grimes said.
With fewer than 12 weeks left in the school year, the spring sports season can be a positive way to end the year. “By the spring term, you feel a little more settled, you might have a group of friends already. And so it’s just a great opportunity to expand on those relationships and continue to create new relationships,” Heys said.