JAMES “JC” COGGIN

Former NATRA President (2021-2024) | Former Vice President (2017-2020) | NATRA Member Since 2007 | Middle Tennessee OHV Board Member

“When I joined NATRA in 2007, I was just looking for somewhere to ride.”

Like many new members, I didn’t know anything about the club’s history or the people who kept it going. I would ride the trails, see volunteers clearing brush or preparing for events, wave as I passed, and continue on my ride.

For years, that’s all I did.

By the fall of 2015, something had changed.

I remember telling my wife that I was either going to fully commit to helping the club or step away from riding altogether. I was beginning to lose interest in simply showing up to ride. I wanted to be part of something bigger.

That decision changed my life.

Becoming Part of the Mission

During the winter of 2015, NATRA entered a new chapter under President Mark Donovan and Vice President Brandon McLain.

At that time, the club faced real challenges. There were nearly as many non-members using the property as paying members, creating financial strain and growing concerns from our landowner.

To help protect the club, the NATRA Marshal Program was created.

When I heard about it, I knew exactly where I belonged.

I jumped in with both feet.

What I didn’t realize was that volunteering would introduce me to a network of friendships that would last a lifetime.

Our first mission was simple: grow the club.

Long before online registrations and Club Express, we spent countless hours patrolling the property, welcoming riders, signing up new members in the field, and sharing what NATRA was all about.

In just one year, membership nearly doubled from roughly 700 families to more than 1,400.

That same year we held our very first Poker Run, raising approximately $15,000 to build a new playground in West Point.

Looking back, we had no idea that was only the beginning.

Leading Through Growth

At the end of 2016, Mark Donovan stepped down as president.

Brandon McLain became president, and I was honored to be elected his Vice President.

Together we led the club through four years of tremendous growth.

Membership continued climbing. The Charity Poker Run grew each year. Trails were expanded, bridges were built, and countless improvements were made across the property.

Those years were filled with hard work but they were also some of the most rewarding years I’ve ever experienced.

When Brandon stepped down at the end of 2020 to spend more time with his family business, I was honored again when our members elected me President.

Facing Uncertainty

The next four years brought challenges unlike anything NATRA had experienced before.

Our West Point property changed ownership, bringing new management, new insurance requirements, and understandable concerns about liability.

Every phone call from the landowner felt important.

Then came the conversation none of us wanted to hear.

There was a possibility the property could eventually be sold.

By then, NATRA had grown to more than 3,000 member families.

My greatest fear wasn’t losing a position or a title.

It was the possibility that thousands of families could lose the place they loved to ride.

Building Rainbow Falls

In early 2021, an opportunity appeared.

The Kilgore property in Hardin County became available.

Through conversations with a local businessman and many others who believed in preserving legal OHV recreation, NATRA secured what would become a 20-year lease on what is now known as Rainbow Falls.

Before the lease was even finalized, volunteers were already on the ground clearing trails and preparing the property.

Rainbow Falls didn’t happen because one person had a vision.

It happened because dozens of volunteers showed up.

Special thanks to Brandon McLain, James Wilson, Dale Danley, Ivan Eldridge, Barry Hanback, Mike Marino, Chuck Keller and the many volunteers whose countless hours turned an idea into reality.

Rainbow Falls not only doubled NATRA’s footprint, but it also relieved pressure on West Point and preserved another incredible place for families to ride legally for years to come.

The Part Most People NEVER See

Serving as President wasn’t glamorous. Much of it happened behind the scenes.

Insurance issues. Landowner meetings. Neighbor concerns. Complaints. Hundreds of phone calls. Thousands of text messages.

Problems that needed solving before most members ever knew they existed.

Some days were exhausting. But every challenge was worth it.

Because every conversation, every meeting, and every difficult decision came back to one goal:

Making sure our members always had a legal, safe place to enjoy with their families.

Looking Back

When I joined NATRA, I thought I was joining a place to ride.

Instead, I found lifelong friendships, unforgettable experiences, and an opportunity to help build something much larger than myself.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

“Volunteers don’t just maintain trails. They preserve communities.”

I loved every minute of it because I knew I was doing my part to make sure future generations would always have a legal and safe place to ride.

Thank you, JC, for your leadership, service, and dedication to NATRA and Middle Tennessee OHV. Your work helped shape the organization thousands of families enjoy today.

Why Wednesday | Issue #02 Published July 2026