PHILADELPHIA -- For Jake Arrieta, his work with the Taylor Hooton Foundation -- an organization dedicated to helping youth athletes avoid performance-enhancing substances -- hits especially close to home.

Taylor Hooton, a former star pitcher for Plano West Senior High School, took his own life at the age of 17 in 2003 after he had stopped using anabolic steroids. Arrieta attended neighboring Plano East.

"I actually played against Taylor in travel ball in high school," Arrieta said. "We knew of each other kind of from afar -- and my wife was friends with Taylor. So it’s something that I really wanted to kind of associate myself with, and just to try help any way I can with what they’re trying to do."

Arrieta is one of two Phillies' representatives, along with Aaron Nola, on the Foundation's Major League Advisory Board. There are a record 42 active players currently on the Advisory Board, formed in 2014, including at least one representative from all 30 Major League teams.

Founded in 2004, the Taylor Hooton Foundation has spoken to nearly two million people throughout North America.

“The Taylor Hooton Foundation is simply overwhelmed by the support that these elite athletes and Major League Baseball provide to send such an important and positive message to our young people that they, too, can accomplish all of their dreams without the use of these dangerous and often illegal substances,” said Taylor Hooton Foundation president Donald Hooton, Jr.

As members of the Advisory Board, Arrieta and Nola are both participating in the Foundation's 2019 campaign branded "All Me," which includes public service announcements at this year's All-Star Game, League Championship Series and World Series. Advisory Board members also take part in programs within their own communities, speaking with students about the dangers of performance-enhancing substances.

"There’s a lot of pressure on young kids to perform and be big and strong and fast, and play sports in high school and be on all the best travel teams," Arrieta said. "A lot of kids end up deciding to go down a bad road that they really don't need to, and it’s something we’re trying to make kids understand. There’s a smarter and better way to approach that naturally."

For Arrieta, that message starts right at home with his seven-year-old son, Cooper. He started asking his dad questions a couple years ago when he would hear stories about players getting suspended for performance-enhancing drugs -- or taking the “bad medicine,” as Cooper called it.

"Even at that age, he was aware of it because he hears these things happening," Arrieta said. "So it’s my job to explain in as basic terms as I can why guys are getting suspended. Every time he asks questions about it, we talk about it. You can’t just assume kids are too young or, once they get older, that their friends or teammates aren’t being exposed to those alternatives. They're out there.

"It’s something that’s not going to just go away. We’d love it to, but we’re just trying to get kids to have the best information possible."