Whether through competing, 34 years of coaching or NCAA committee service, skiing has played a major role in Terry Aldrich’s life.

At the age of 59, he has many memories on which to reflect. His service as the NCAA secretary-rules editor for skiing is one of the areas that allowed him to build at least some of them. For 17 years, Aldrich fielded questions concerning rules interpretations involving collegiate skiing.

That part of his professional life is over, though, because Aldrich is transitioning out of the role.

That torch already has been passed to University of New Mexico Nordic coach Fredrik Landstedt, who applied for the secretary-rules editor position and will be the first person to hold the job since Aldrich took it over in 1989.

"I really enjoyed it, because I had the opportunity to meet coaches from all parts of the country, and not just the Eastern region," Aldrich said. "I had the opportunity to work with people that I would not normally have known that well. You only see other colleagues from the West or Midwest once a year. And that would be at the NCAA championships. That’s a very short time, and you don’t get a chance to know them."

Aldrich began serving on the NCAA Skiing Committee in 1984. Just as his service was about to end, the secretary-rules editor position came open, and other committee members asked if he could fill the void temporarily.

"For the continuity and for historical data, they wondered if I could stay on," said Aldrich, who was a member of the U.S. Nordic and biathlon teams in the late 1960s and early 1970s. "I agreed to do it thinking I would only do this for a couple of years. It just kept going."

Aldrich also will be absent from the slopes for the first time in more than three decades. He has decided to step away from the Middlebury College ski program and instead remain coach of the men’s and women’s cross country teams.

During his tenure in the Middlebury ski program, Aldrich has coached 30 all-Americans, including Olympians Sue Long (1984), Dorcas DenHartog (1988, 1992) and Andrew Johnson (2002).

Besides remaining as cross country coach, Aldrich, who previously was the head ski coach at the University of New Hampshire for three years before taking over the Middlebury program in 1975, also will assume administrative duties within the Panthers’ athletics department.

Aldrich said being the secretary-rules editor kept him up to date on national issues within the sport. Meticulous attention to detail is required to complete the tasks of the job, but the commitment pays off at crucial times.

"At times during championships, the committee has had to look to the secretary-rules editor to render a ruling," Aldrich said. "In most cases, the rules are obvious and clear. When they are not, it is up to the rules editor to make an interpretation."

Aldrich isn’t the only change in the NCAA secretary-rules editor roster. The Association is accepting applications for the position in women’s basketball until July 10. A decision on that position should be made by mid-August.

Barbara Jacobs, an assistant commissioner of the Big East Conference, has held the position since 1996 but is stepping down.