Dear Members of the Hobart and William Smith Colleges Community,
I write today with the sad news that Doug Reeland, the Colleges' coordinator of sports medicine, has passed away following a long battle with cancer. For more than 30 years, Doug has overseen the Colleges' athletic training program where his good humor, dedication to students, and love of HWS athletics have benefited generations of HWS students.
Friends may call 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 28 at Palmisano-Mull Funeral Home, 28 Genesee St., Geneva. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 29 at St. John's Chapel.
Guests can park in the Boswell Field lot. A shuttle bus will run continuously for guests from Boswell Field to St. John's Chapel and back.
Thoughts and memories of Doug can be expressed online via the Palmisano-Mull website.
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Doug 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.
Responsible for bringing several innovations to the Colleges, Doug championed the purchase of and training on automatic external defibrillators for the HWS athletic facilities. In 2003, following a Hobart soccer game, an elderly fan collapsed. Members of Doug's staff acted quickly and used an AED to revive the man.
More recently, Doug 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, Doug served 18 years on the ethics committee and was a member of the Association's Eastern and New York State branches.
In 1986, Doug served as the head athletic trainer for the USA International Lacrosse Team.
Prior to his arrival at the Colleges, Doug 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, Doug 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.
At last year's Block H Dinner, he was presented with the Coach Bill Maxwell Memorial Award for his longtime commitment to the Colleges.
An integral member of the HWS and Geneva communities, Doug will be greatly missed by the thousands of alumni, alumnae, students, parents and coaches who relied on his advice and counsel. He is survived by his wife, Shelley, and daughters, Kelliann '09 and Brittany '13.
Mark D. Gearan
President
