Today, the Taylor Hooton Foundation announced that New York Yankee’s star Alex Rodriguez will join the Taylor Hooton Foundation team to help fight youth steroid and other performance enhancing drug use. Don Hooton, President of the Taylor Hooton Foundation (THF) said: “This is the first time that we have teamed up with a ballplayer who has made a mistake with steroids.  We reached out to Alex after his ESPN interview, in which he stressed he wants to turn his mistake into something positive by focusing on youth anti-steroid education.  Since we began talking to him we have found his sense of regret is genuine and his commitment to help is strong.” THF was formed in 2004, after Don Hooton’s son, Taylor, took his own life as a result of steroid use.  The Foundation is the only entity?public or private?in the U.S. dedicated specifically to educating young people, parents, coaches, trainers, and other adult influencers about the dangers of steroid and other performance enhancing drugs.  The Foundation has presented its “Hoots Chalk Talks” to over 50,000 children, as well as to scores of adults, athletes, coaches and others. Hooton continued,  “We are focused on reaching kids.  Alex has a unique, extremely important and very real message to bring to young people?a message that can literally keep kids away from these drugs and save lives.  Alex has admitted his mistake, one of the very few players, to do so.  We are glad he is stepping up to the plate.  Together with him we can have a positive result and get the message out to America’s youth.”