About Us
Our club is one of a very small number of continually running organized groups that have been playing the game of flyball for over twenty years. We began playing before there was a formal organization (NAFA) in place to administer the sport. And we have been an active participant in that organization's sanctioned events ever since its inception.
After what would become the game of flyball as we now know it migrated to the Detroit metropolitan area in the late 1970's, a group of trainers at the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club got together and decided to give this strange new game a try. They learned the game, and trained their dogs.
Soon, the AADTC flyball group began to run demonstration events with other groups of enthusiasts in the area. Our groups began to form into teams, and the teams began to compete with one another. Before long, we became the Front Runners, rather than the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club team, and enjoyed the competitions.
Not long after, it became evident that rules - and a formal organization - were needed to govern our activities. In November 1984, twelve teams from southern Michigan and southern Ontario got together and formed the North American Flyball Association.
Our captain, Mike Randall, became the first NAFA Executive Director. He then served in both roles until 1991.
In 1987, it was decided that team (now club) numbers were needed to aid in keeping track of flyball titles. Our club became the first one to register for those numbers, giving us NAFA club number 001.
In early 1992, Mike and Beckie competed in their last tournament as Front Runners. They then moved to North Carolina, where they introduced the sport to yet another part of the country. Mike turned over the club, and the captain's duties, to Phyllis Askew - one of the original Front Runners.
In May of 2003, the Pedal Pushers returned to the fold, and re-merged with our team. The active dogs from the two teams joined together, and we have been running happily together ever since.
In October of 2005, after 13 years at the helm, Phyllis handed the captain's reigns to Gerry Bradshaw, while maintaining ownership of the club. With Phyllis still a very active part of the day-to-day operations of the club, Gerry has taken on the task of helping keep the Front Runners an active part of this great sport. He hopes to do so for many years to come.
In August 2008, being unable to maintain his work schedule and have the time for the job, Gerry returned the helm to Phyllis and stepped down from flyball.
We participated in the first NAFA sanctioned tournaments. Nearly twenty-two years later, we are still competing at as many of them as we can find time, dogs, and people to attend. During all of those years, we have seen a lot of changes. The game has changed, we have changed, and NAFA has grown.
Many people, and dogs, have come and gone during those years. Today, we have grown into a club of many different breeds of dogs and many people. While few of the original Front Runners are still competing with us, all of the current members share the original love of the sport, and the desire to have fun playing it that that first group exhibited.
This club has been an integral part of an organization that has allowed many people to discover the joy of letting their dogs play this great game for over twenty years. The current members hope to continue that tradition for another twenty years or so, when the next generation will take over (pry it away) from us and keep things going.