Athletic trainer Mark Doughtie has been a member of the Department of Sports Medicine since 1978. Throughout his career, Doughtie has worked with countless Tufts athletes through wins and losses, as well as through injuries and rehabilitation. After 36 years with Tufts, Doughtie announced his decision to retire at the end of this year.
Michael Daly, head coach of the men's lacrosse team, has worked with Doughtie for over 22 years in both personal and professional capacities.
"[Doughtie] cares about doing the right things and making the right decisions for kids," Daly said. "That's what always resonated with me as a student, a graduate student and a professional working with him."
Daly also attended Tufts as an undergraduate, where he interacted with Doughtie as an athlete.
"Mark was my athletic trainer, so I got to work with him then," he said. "Then in my time as a graduate student here, we expanded from [a] player [and] student relationship to more of a formal friendship ... We've been roommates, friends, he's my mentor - he's been everything to me."
The length of Doughtie's career at Tufts has allowed him to build relationships with students and their families, as exemplified by junior Tommy Meade, current captain of the football team.
"I've known Mark longer than most of my teammates have," Meade said. "My father, Danny Meade, [was captain of] the Tufts football team in the eighties and played under Mark's supervision."
Doughtie has had a significant impact on both father and son, according to Meade.
"My dad still says to this day that, if it wasn't for Mark, he probably wouldn't have been able to play his senior season [at Tufts]," he said.
Meade's father maintained his connection with Doughtie even after graduation.
"My dad reached out to Mark when I had a shoulder injury from high school football, and Mark fit me for my brace my junior year," Meade said. "Mark has kept me off of the injured list since my freshman season."
As head athletic trainer, Doughtie has experience working with a variety of Tufts athletic teams.
"I've worked mostly with football, men's swimming and men's lacrosse," Doughtie said. "Early on I did work with men's basketball and have also done so with men's hockey."
For all athletic teams, Doughtie said his top priority is ensuring students' safety and has dedicated the past 36 years to doing so.
"In any sport I'm involved with, I'm at their practices and their games," Doughtie said. "It can be a very personally [re]warding profession. There's no glamor to it; you're going to work hard [with] a lot of hours ... But it's been worth it."
Doughtie noted one reason in particular for maintaining his position as an athletic trainer over the years.
"I really enjoy the kids here. I really do," he said. "It's been great - that's why I've stayed so long. I've had a couple of job offers since I've been here. I was offered the Boston Celtics job years ago. I was negotiating with Stanford University, but decided to stay here."
While the expectation may be that Doughtie would have experienced many changes throughout his lengthy career, he explained that the only significant changes in the sports medicine office have been small.
"The changes are just physical. Facilities, upgrades ... that's really been the biggest change," Doughtie said.
The number of coaches Doughtie has worked with, however, is a testament to the length of his career.
"The present football coach is the fourth one since I've been here [and] the swimming coach is the second," he said. "This is the fifth lacrosse coach since I've been here. Basketball has had a few changes too."
Even with new faces coming in and out of the training room each year, Doughtie said that his profession has largely remained the same.
"It hasn't really changed a lot over the years," he said. "We're dealing with biology [in student injuries]. Sometimes you can't speed it up; it just needs to run its course and take time."
Student athlete opinions, like those of Daly, have demonstrated that Doughtie's impact and dedication to students has also remained consistent.
"Mark is just a great American, a great patriot," Daly said. "He's a veteran and I look up to him on so many different levels - so I think he has a great value system and great character [and] his decision making is unquestioned - and most importantly as a professional at Tufts, he cares about the kids."
Meade emphasized that Doughtie's absence will be felt throughout the athletic department.
"[Doughtie] has been the face of Tufts' sport medicine [department] for such a long time," Meade said. "His unparalleled commitment to the university and its student athletes will leave a lasting legacy here at Tufts."
Daly also expressed his sentiments over the loss of such an important figure within Tufts' athletics community.
"A couple people have contacted me and started consoling me because it's going to be a big loss to me personally, and our lacrosse program for sure," Daly said. "With Mark, he just cares about the kids. He cares about the place, and he's been such a great piece of the Tufts fabrics - I hope it's something we don't lose."
Doughtie, however, said he is confident that his decision to leave is the right one.
"It's bittersweet," he said. "I really enjoy the kids here, I really do. But it's time to move on. Let somebody young come in and enjoy their time being an athletic trainer."
