Little League® International joins the baseball community in mourning the passing of Don Hooton Sr., Founder and Executive Chairman of the Taylor Hooton Foundation and a longtime advocate for the health, safety, and well-being of young athletes. Mr. Hooton passed away on November 10, 2026, at the age of 76.
A former Little League parent himself, Mr. Hooton dedicated more than two decades of his life to educating young people and the adults who support them about the dangers of Appearance and Performance Enhancing Substances (APES).
Following the death of his youngest son, Taylor, in 2003, Mr. Hooton and his family transformed their grief into action, establishing the Taylor Hooton Foundation in Taylor’s memory. A former Little Leaguer® and high school baseball player from Plano, Texas, Taylor was just 17 years old when he died after using anabolic steroids.
In 2014, Little League International and the Taylor Hooton Foundation formally teamed up to provide educational resources to Little League parents, coaches, and volunteers, helping adults better understand the risks associated with steroids, dietary supplements, and other appearance- and performance-enhancing substances. Today, Little League continues to offer resources across its website and digital channels, as well as emails to its volunteers and parents throughout the year to help educate around the cause.
Through his advocacy, Mr. Hooton helped generations of parents, coaches, and young athletes better understand that responsibility. His legacy will live on through the Taylor Hooton Foundation, the millions of people touched by its educational work, and the countless families empowered to make safer and more informed decisions because Don was willing to tell Taylor’s story.
Little League International extends its deepest condolences to Don’s wife, Gwen; his children, Donald and Mackenzie; the entire Hooton family; and all those at the Taylor Hooton Foundation who continue the important mission he began.