The U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association honored Doug Reeland, the late coordinator of sports medicine at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, with its Frenchy Julien Service Award at the IMLCA Nike Awards Luncheon in Baltimore today.
The Frenchy Julien Service Award is presented in honor of former Chief Referee Joseph R. Frenchy Julien for outstanding and continuous service to the sport of lacrosse. Reeland, who passed away in April following a long battle with cancer, joins several Hobart alumni who are past recipients of the award, including Phil Buttafuocco '83, who accepted the award on behalf of Reeland's family.
Reeland joined the Colleges' physical education staff as an assistant athletic trainer in 1979 and became the coordinator of sports medicine in 1981. He oversaw the Colleges' athletic training program and was directly involved in the prevention, diagnosis, and intervention of injuries and other medical conditions for hundreds of Statesmen and Heron student-athletes each year. He also directed the training in first aid and emergency response of the Colleges' student aides. In 1986, Reeland served as the head athletic trainer for the USA International Lacrosse Team.
Responsible for bringing several innovations to the Colleges, Reeland championed the purchase of and training on automatic external defibrillators (AED) for the HWS athletic facilities. In 2003, following a Hobart soccer game, an elderly fan collapsed. Members of his staff acted quickly and used an AED to revive the man. Reeland also instituted a comprehensive concussion program to protect HWS student-athletes. Today's Statesmen and Herons are administered a computer-based test that measures their ability to concentrate and recall information.
An active member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Reeland served 18 years on the ethics committee and was a member of the Association's Eastern and New York State branches.
Prior to his arrival at the Colleges, Reeland spent six years in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He also served as an athletic trainer for the Alfred State University wrestling team and Bolivar, N.Y., High School football team.
A native of Bolivar, Reeland competed in football, basketball and track. He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from the University of Oklahoma in 1972 and became a certified athletic trainer in 1978.
Reeland was inducted into the Allegany County Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2009. A year later, he was presented with Hobart's Coach Bill Maxwell Memorial Award for his longtime commitment to the Colleges.
