The Urban Legend

“Way better than it was:” pressure, wind sprints and the rise of boys varsity basketball

Isaac Hoffman, Staff Writer • February 28, 2024

Urban’s Athletic Director and varsity boys basketball Coach Joe Skiffer leans back and laughs. “What do I do so well?” He shakes his head and repeats my question again. “What do I do so well?”...

Making the cut: how Urban sports teams stay afloat

Ben Katznelson, News Editor • March 3, 2022

As a small school—roughly 430 students—Urban sometimes struggles to accumulate and maintain the numbers necessary to field sports teams. Urban Athletic Director Joe Skiffer admits to having faced this...

The changing face of Urban athletics: Urban’s new athletic trainer

Sydney Reimer, Staff Writer • December 20, 2018

According to At Your Own Risk, a website created by the National Athletic Trainers Association, 90 percent of student-athletes have experienced a sports-related injury and 54 percent of students have said...

Boys soccer kicks off first winter season

Ian Ryan, Staff Writer • October 25, 2018

In December, the boys soccer teams will kick off their seasons in the winter rather than the fall for the first time. Many schools, including Lick-Wilmerding High School, University High School, and Marin...

Urban’s PA classes offer more than just physical activity

Griffin Bianchi, Staff Writer • October 15, 2015

Athletes know the sights, sounds, and smells of their sports. The swoosh of the ball against the net after it flies between the goalie and the post, the buzzer screeching as the first quarter ends, the...

Urban teachers experience massive baby boom

Ariane Goldsmith, Staff Writer • May 27, 2015

In the past two years at Urban, five teachers have had babies and four more are currently expectant parents: Raina Mast, Laura Hawkins, Sarah Clowes, and Joe Skiffer. Urban has always been supportive of...