The West Virginia University Athletic Trainers’Association is flexing its muscles in the National Athletic Trainers’Association magazine.

The February issue of NATA NEWS includes a one-page article on the student organization.

It’s really a big deal to us to be recognized by a national publication,said Alexis Murphy, club president.We’re excited that NATA is taking note of what we do.

The nine-year-old organization’s main goal is to make people aware of athletic training and its role in the community. The club, which consists of 40 members, wants to create more appreciation for athletic trainers.

We try to put athletic training in the public eye,Murphy said.

The association consists of an executive board and five committees (service, public relations and programs, alumni, fund-raising and scholarship), making it a fully functional student organization.

The organization raises funds to help cover the costs of seniors’certification exams and to offset the expenses for educational conferences. The organization also supports the West Virginia Athletic Trainers’Association in its state licensure efforts.

Being featured in NATA NEWS brings a little extra attention to the work the students do here,said Jeromy Alt, faculty adviser.

The organization also works hard to support the community with a variety of projects. These include an Adopt-a-Street program, Red Cross blood drives, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, gift boxes for the Samaritan’s Purse and pop tab collections for the Ronald McDonald House.

The students are very involved,Murphy said.They always want to do service projects.

The NATA NEWS article could not have come at a better time, as the organization marks two special occasions this month, Alt said.

March is National Athletic Training Month, a time for athletic training groups across the nation to promote their field.

Meanwhile, the WVU Athletic Trainers’Association is helping plan the West Virginia Athletic Trainers’Association annual meeting March 20 at the Ramada Inn in Morgantown. WVU is the host for this year’s meeting.