Powerhockey practice

With the many hats in my closet – there is a Powerhockey hat that I wear. For the past 8 years, I have been playing a sport called Powerhockey. For those of you that don’t know know what Powerhockey is, Powerhockey is wheelchair hockey specifically for persons requiring the use of an electric (power) wheelchair during daily life. There are many Powerhockey leagues access the US & Canada and the league in NC is the North Carolina Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association or NCEWHA. I have been a member of the Carolina Fury team for 8 years and a Vice President of the league for the last 5.

Please visit our website http://www.ncpowerhockey.com

As a goalie for the team, I spent 8 years of playing every game and mostly every minute of those games. So, over the summer I came to terms with myself and decided that my playing days were over and chose to retire. I wrestled back and forth with the decision but realized that I wasn’t the spring chicken I used to be. I was begining to feel to the riggers of each game and practice, resulting in being very tired. I started feeling the effects in the days days after and knowing my body better than anyone – I knew that I had to make a change.

Did I say I retired?…….. I retired for playing that is!!!! (haha) I am now the Head Coach of the Carolina Fury!!!!! Today was my first practice as Coach. It went very well and I guarantee I got everyone’s attention.

The moral of this story, well maybe 2 morals………….1. When one door shuts, another will always open………….2. Never count Josh Cranfill out.

Today is gameday…

Those of you that know me – know that I love sports, especially football. For the last 8 years, I have had the privilege of being an Assistant Coach for the varsity football team at Western Alamance, the high school in which I graduated from in 2002. When people find out that I still have ties to my high school, they raise questions.

What people don’t know is that at Western Alamance – it’s not all about football. As an Assistant Coach, I hardly ever talk about football……I focus on enriching the lives of boys and help them become productive young men. One of the duties that I am gladly responsible for is giving the team an occasional pregame speech. If you can imagine about 50 young men, silent, and on one knee, circled around me for a short speech before a game……it can get chilling.

Most of my speeches include topics like how to overcome obstacles, playing with heart and honor, and doing things the right way for the right reasons. One of the important messages that I try to convey to the players it to keep everything in perspective. Life is so precious and can never be taken for granted, as it can be ripped away.

Oh yeaaa, after all that……we have a football game to win!

Who is Josh Cranfill you say…

I take it that if you have come by my blog, you in fact, already know me and most of my story.

For those of you that don’t know me, I will give you some background information. At 14 months old, my parents noticed that I was no longer pulling up and rolling over as I had been doing. As concerned parents, they took me to numerous doctors and after tests, I was diagnosed with Werdnig-Hoffman, which is a form of Spinal Muscular Atrophy and what the world knows as Muscular Dystrophy. As all parents would, they were overwhelmed of the news and were devastated when doctors gave me until 18 months to live. Obviously I made it past my doctor’s expectations!

Early on in my life my parents made it clear that my disability would never affect my mind and that they would not treat me any different than anyone else. Just because I was in an electric wheelchair did not mean I couldn’t be a respectable, well-honored individual in society.

Now 25, after graduating from high school and college, I see my disability as a gift because it has allowed me to experience many things and made me look at life in a way that most take for granted. Hopefully through my stories, life experiences (both good and bad), and something I like to call wisdom-words, you can take from it something that you have learned about yourself or something that will get you through a trying time.

Enjoy!