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NPF National Pro Fastpitch

NPF players make pledge

August 20, 2008 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) News Release


Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Commissioner Cheri Kempf, and Don Hooton of the Taylor Hooton Foundation (THF), jointly announced today that NPF and The Taylor Hooton Foundation are partnering to educate fans of women's softball about the dangers of steroids. NPF is MLB's Official Development Partner in the category of women's professional fastpitch softball. THF was founded to attack the general wide-spread ignorance of anabolic steroid use and to educate the public of its dangers. As part of this partnership every member of the popular NPF league will stand up with Commissioner Kempf to take a personal pledge to Play Clean on August 21, at the opening events for the league's championship series in Kimberly, WI.

This unprecedented commitment is part of the League's desire to establish itself as using natural talent to play a game the participants love, while sending a message to younger athletes, coaches and parents that peak performance comes from natural training rather than illegal steroids or other performanceenhancing drugs. "We are very proud of the leadership of Commissioner Kempf and the NPF players," said Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "NPF is making use of the popular Hoot's Chalk Talks from the Taylor Hooton Foundation, just as we have in Major League Baseball this summer."

NPF, Major League Baseball and the Taylor Hooton Foundation are reaching out to softball leagues and fans across the country and conduct educational workshops that have been designed in conjunction with each of the league's six teams, focusing on the dangers of steroids, as well as healthier alternatives including eating properly and training hard. "We are all about Playing Clean and want to help spread the word to the next generation of athletes," said Commissioner Kempf. "Sadly, recent studies show that almost one-third of high school teens experimenting with steroids are young women. It's time for everyone who participates or enjoys sports to stand united for Playing Clean."

As part of this program, the Taylor Hooton Foundation made comprehensive anti-steroid education presentations to all six NPF teams - Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, New England Riptide, Philadelphia Force, Rockford Thunder, and Washington Glory. NPF and MLB intend to make education concerning the damage caused by use of performance-enhancing drugs a permanent part of the NPF message and mission. "We are genuinely excited to see the whole NPF league step forward and take the pledge to play clean. We think this sends an important message to athletes at all levels about the importance of playing fairly. We hope that this is but the first of many professional athletic leagues that will step onto their fields and publicly pledge to their fans that they will play drug free," said Don Hooton, President of the Taylor Hooton Foundation.

National Pro Fastpitch is the premier women's professional fastpitch softball league in the United States. Headquartered in Denver, the league has been in operation since 1997 under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL). MLB, a founding sponsor of the Hooton Foundation since 2005, provides significant financial and other forms of support to the foundation as part of MLB's aggressive anti-steroid educational program.

With a growing list of recognizable and marketable stars providing league and sport identity, NPF features the best women's fastpitch athletes in the world, including Olympic Gold Medalists and Collegiate All-Americans. For more information, please visit its website at www.profastpitch.com.

The joint mission of Major League Baseball and the Taylor Hooton Foundation is the education and training of young people, parents and coaches about the dangers of steroids and other performanceenhancing substances and about appropriate fitness and conditioning programs. Major League Baseball and the Taylor Hooton Foundation share the objective of reducing the incidence rate of steroids and other performance-enhancing drug use among American youth. The Taylor Hooton Foundation was formed in memory of Taylor E. Hooton, a promising 17-year-old prep baseball player who took his own life on July 15, 2003 as a result of his abuse of anabolic steroids. This Foundation was founded by Don Hooton, a Texas businessman and Taylor's father, with the goal of abolishing performance enhancing drugs through evaluation, education and elimination. Parents, coaches and kids can get more information about the dangers of steroids and other drugs, how to train the right way, and the foundation at www.taylorhooton.org.



National Pro Fastpitch Stories from August 20, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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