Established in 1997 by Chairmen Christopher Westerkamp and William Riggs. The American Student Front is dedicated to the cause of students and intelligentsia everywhere, specifically student athletes in the US and abroad...
Both ex-Division I collegiate cross-country and track athletes, Chris, Billy and the rest of their Ball State University comrades watched their track and field program crumble beneath the politics of Title IX regulations and funding issues. The team fought hard to keep the program, particularly those such as Michael Johnson who petitioned university and NCAA administration to no avail.
The track and field program at Ball State is now a "club" and the actions of the administration there have been duplicated across the country, particularly in smaller schools that lack the revenue generation of the top-20 athletics programs and habitually lose money.
The vision of the ASF is to stand up for the student-athlete, especially in non-revenue generating sports such as track and field, swimming, field hockey, etc... These students represent the core of those in college who are both students AND athletes. They embody the spirit of what the first man to break the four-minute mile, Sir Roger Bannister, meant when he wrote:
My ideal athlete was first and foremost a human being who ran his sport and did not allow it to run him.
We encourage posting to this site to honor this quote, with eventual hope of being able to bring athletics education, equipment and training to individuals and communities in the US and around the globe. We want to be athletes helping other athletes, and aspiring athletes around the globe to become better athletes, students and most importantly human beings.
~Billy Riggs
