"If I have to, I miss football," Eberhart says.
He's able to do so because his staff knows just how much it means for him to coach his kids and because he trusts his staff.
"They know I trust them completely," he says. "They respect how much it means to me to watch my kids."
In Eberhart's absence, assistant coach Bill Irace usually takes over. A longtime Crescenta Valley teacher and coach, Irace is returning this year to the Falcons' sideline. He's coached elsewhere, though, including Saugus High in Santa Clarita, where he lives.
During his second stint at Saugus, Irace was an assistant from 1994-96. Those first two seasons enabled him to coach his son John, so Coach Irace is well aware of what it means to be a dad first, despite standing on the sidelines.
"They only grow up once," Irace says. "You wanna have the opportunity to see them grow."
And Eberhart's doing everything he can to see his children grow.
This has been his third season coaching Jordan in softball.
He spent seven more years on the Little League diamonds coaching his sons Eric and Ryan in baseball.
Now, he's in his second year of coaching Eric as a varsity football player, and Ryan, currently a junior varsity player, will soon follow.
"It seems like he's always there for everything," Eric says.
And you're probably thinking Alan Eberhart is one of those dads. But you might want to ask his kids about that.
"He's harder on me [than the other kids on the team]," says 12-year-old Jordan.
Eric backs up the assessment, as well, saying his day pushes him and his siblings a little harder to be a little better.
And it's not like one could scoff at Eberhart's credentials. Fact is, if Crescenta Valley High needs a coach, Eberhart's sure to fill the void if needed.
