Spring Training Sports prides itself on the ability of its instructors to positively communicate with young athletes while leading by example as role models. Our senior staff is comprised of current and former professional and college athletes. Each instructor has applied the fundamentals and “life lessons” they teach everyday to their own successful careers giving the Spring Training staff a unique combination of youthfulness, energy, and experience.
Dan Spring
Founder and Director of Baseball
Dan, a 3-sport varsity athlete at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C, was recognized as a two-time USA Today High School Baseball All-American as well as the 1998 Gatorade Player of the Year for D.C. He continued his athletic and academic career at Brown University where he was twice selected All-Ivy League as a pitcher while starting at all 9 positions during his 4 years in Providence. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in Public Policy.
After his senior year at Brown, Dan was selected in the 2003 MLB draft and pitched professionally in both the Detroit Tigers’ and St. Louis Cardinals’ Minor League Systems before retiring in August of 2004 and moving to the South Bay.
Dan founded Spring Training in 2004 and has been coaching and running the organization full-time ever since. He lives in Lomita with his wife Marissa and their 2 children Maddux and Sloane. When not on the baseball field, Dan enjoys spending as much time with his family as possible and playing guitar, golf, and poker with his friends. He can be reached at DanielSpring14@gmail.com.
Marissa Hewitt
Director, Lacrosse & Soccer
Marissa was a 3-sport standout at Hamden Hall Country Day School in New Haven, CT. An All-New England selection in both soccer and lacrosse, she was also her school’s valedictorian ultimately deciding to continue her academic and lacrosse career at Brown University (where she met Dan Spring on the first day of college – they got married in 2008!)
Marissa was the Girls Lacrosse Varsity Head Coach at Palos Verdes High School since 2005-2018, leading the Lady Sea Kings to CIF titles in 2005, 2006, and 2007 in addition to a 2nd place finish in the Southern California state tournament.
A dedicated and enthusiastic coach, Coach Hewitt also founded FACT Education in 2004 and has served as a tutor, academic coach, college counselor, and mentor to hundreds of local students. In 2018, Marissa retired from coaching at PV High to take a full-time position as the Regional Director for Harlem Lacrosse Los Angeles – a national non-profit whose mission is to provide lacrosse opportunities and academic support to middle school children in some of the most under-served neighborhoods in America.
Most recently, she served as the Athletic Director at Rolling Hills Prep, before leaving that position to work and coach full-time at Spring Training.