Tom is 'In the House'

Throwing guru Tom House was introduced

to the La Jolla High crowd at the May 17

CIF play-in game the Vikings won.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Checking entries on my blog, you can see that I haven't written anything in three weeks or so. But one guy, talking with him for 14 minutes by phone, can bring a smile to my face--and some knowledge about a sports app that came out recently and should help some young athletes and their parents work on valuable skills for their particular sport.

I'm talking about Tom House, the former Braves pitcher (my co-teacher and I used to tell our students we were "older than dirt"--House is 75, in the same boat) and Rangers coach. He studied biomechanics and throwing from early on, and it has paid off in a huge video database of 973 Major League pitchers (to this date) that House and his team of "Mustard" (the app) "biomechanists, computer programmers" and other experts are culling data from.

His goal: the "democratization" of information available for kids and teens and their parents so that youth can enjoy and progress in sports.

According to House, "Eighty percent of those kids (we were talking about in high school and youth sports) will quit playing their sport."

With the feedback and skill-teaching available for free in the Mustard app (as in "Put a little mustard on it"), a young person throwing a baseball or football can improve their technique, discuss training and diet, and overall get some thrust toward improved skills in throwing. And it only comes from a simple video taken by Mom or Dad on their cellphone and fed into the app. How's that for amazing?

"It's not to create 20 million big leaguers," assures Tom, who has helped La Jolla Viking pitchers and others in the recent past. "The Mustard mission statement says that the goal is to make 20 million young people around the world who will compete" and stay in their chosen sport for enjoyment, discipline, and other values that sports can teach when they are at their best.

Another quote: "Ed, you and I know today's world is a little goofy. Sports are the great equalizer" or common denominator, whatever the socioeconomic status or color or ethnic group (my words).