Background

A member of the 2000 US Olympic Track Team and 2001-2003 & 2006 US Volleyball National Team, Erin Aldrich is one of the leading dual-sportswomen in the world today. Aldrich hails from a rich, athletic background, as her grandfather, Charles 'Ki' Aldrich, was the NFL's number one draft pick in 1939 and went on to play offense and defense for the Washington Redskins until 1948. Several seasons an All Pro, he is still recognized by many as an NFL legend.

Taking after her grandfather's tenacity, Aldrich declared to her parents that she would one day become an Olympian, while watching the Opening Ceremonies to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games on TV. She was only six then, but it wasn't until her freshman year in high school that she realized she had the gift to excel at an elite level in not only one, but two sports. Following her junior year in high school, Aldrich accepted an athletic scholarship to play volleyball and track & field (high jump) at The University of Arizona.

After her freshman year at Arizona, Aldrich learned that her high jump coach, John Rembao, was offered the assistant coaching job at The University of Texas in 1997. She eagerly made the transfer to Austin, Texas and immediately made herself comfortable in the Longhorn uniform, winning 4 NCAA National Championships, 7 All-America honors, and jumping a still-standing collegiate record of 1.97m (6'5.5") on the track. As a volleyball player at UT, Aldrich was tabbed 1st Team AVCA All-America and led the nation in triple-doubles her senior season. She finished off her collegiate career being named the Big XII Athlete of the Year in 2000.

Following her years at Texas and her first Olympic Team birth in 2000, Aldrich decided it was finally time to turn her focus toward the volleyball court. She packed her bags and moved to the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado where she played three seasons with the US National Team, leading her team to a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Playing professional volleyball abroad had always been another goal of Aldrich's. In 2003 she left the US National Team to pursue a professional volleyball career in Italy, the most prestigious professional volleyball league in the world. She was named to the 2004 and 2005 Italian A1 Professional Volleyball League All Star Teams.

With the desire to add to her list of high jump accomplishments, Aldrich returned to the track after her 2004-2005 professional volleyball season. She posted wins in her first six meets, including a winning jump of 1.95m (6’4.75”) at the Nike Prefontaine Classic. She was named to her third US World Championships Team (Helsinki, Finland) and finished her 2005 track season with a top 20 world ranking.

Unfortunately, Aldrich suffered her first major injury (torn ACL), while playing professional volleyball in the Japanese V League during the 2007-2008 season. Her hopes of competing in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China we shattered due to the knee injury, and she is currently spending her summer rehabbing her knee and preparing to play professionally again.

Erin is the daughter of John and Susan Aldrich and the sister of Steve Aldrich, who played tennis at Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas). She enjoys shopping, reading and watching movies in her spare time.

Getting to know Erin