Mars girls soccer coach Blair Gerlach didn’t really care if his daughter, Eden, ever wished to play organized soccer.

In fact, he seemed to hope that she wouldn’t.

There was always the chance that she’d end up under his tutelage. That became a reality, as Eden is now a senior forward for the Planets.

“When she got to high school, she became a victim of circumstance,” Blair joked. “She never had a problem with it ... She kind of looked forward to the time when that might happen.”

At first, though, Blair was hesitant, worried the coach-player dynamic could cause a rift in the father-child relationship. Eden was to be treated with the same expectations, criticisms, and praises as the other players.

That hasn’t ever been an issue.

“I know there’s a lot of a stigma around how, with coach’s kids, there’s a lot of favoritism there,” Eden said. “I think we do a really good job of separating home life and soccer life.”

Switching Passions

Blair’s wife and Eden’s mother, Heather, is a dance instructor who teaches faith-based fitness at the YMCA. Eden first gravitated toward dancing.

“I was kind of like, ‘Yes!’” Blair said. “I could just go and watch her in these performances and I don’t even know what I’m talking about, but I could just tell her she looks beautiful and (that) I love her outfit.”

Then Eden approached Blair about playing soccer. He knew that his coaching proclivity would kick in, that he’d end up analyzing his daughter’s skills and recognizing her weaknesses on the field.

It wasn’t something he wanted to do.

Soon after, as an 11-year-old, Eden tagged along for a Northern Steel game. Blair’s crew was short a girl, so Eden filled in. She netted a goal and dished out an assist in a 2-1 win.

“I think that it came pretty naturally to me,” Eden said. “I felt really comfortable on the field.”

Being that Blair played at a high-level in college and was striving toward a spot on the national team before a career-altering injury, Eden’s taking to the sport came as little surprise.

“She came up to me later that night, I’ll remember it perfectly until the day I die,” Blair said. “She walked into my room and she looked at me and said, ‘So, uh, what do I have to do to get a uniform?’”

Even-Keeled

Eden trains and does her best to sharpen her abilities, but Blair said she doesn’t get overwhelmed or too wrapped up in it.

“People don’t just look at her and say, ‘Soccer’s her thing ... her only thing,’” Blair said. “She’s been really successful by having a good balance.”

Eden tore her ACL during a Cup soccer final last June. The surgery and recovery processes are ones that can raise questions about an athlete’s commitment to a sport.

“You worry about the mental injury and the physical injury,” Blair said. “She’s come back from both amazingly well ... She knows what’s truly important.”

“Having to deal with just sitting on the sideline and watching my teammates play was really tough,” Eden said. “But, at the same time, it really opened my eyes to see how much I did miss playing.”

In having to stay idle while her knee healed, she had the chance to study the ins and outs of the game. She attended practices and made it to every game as Mars forged its way to a third straight state title. She volunteered to record statistics, too.

“She’s very thoughtful and very cerebral as a player,” Blair said. “There were times where she and I would talk strategy. We would talk formation. We could watch film together ... It was really cool to be able to see.”

The Comeback

With mainly coaching girls soccer, Blair has seen a fair share of his players suffer similar injuries. He typically visit his players after they undergo the surgery.

“I’d never had to do it with my own kid,” Blair said. “It’s a testing and trying surgery. They’re so dependent on you to do everything from getting them food to making sure their crutches are close by.

“You get that appreciation for, ‘Man, you must really love this if you’re going to go back.’”

The Next Chapter

As Eden’s mentor, Blair had to speak with college coaches as part of her college recruitment.

“I probably talked to them less about her than I would about any other player,” Blair said. “I never want her to feel like what she has earned is because of who her dad is.

“When she starts on a team, I want her to feel and know that it is because she’s good enough to start on that team and any coach would see that.”

After one more go-round with the Planets, Eden will continue her soccer career at Edinboro University. Blair is excited to shed his responsibilities as her coach and just be a proud parent.

“Being able to watch her and just cheer for her and support her is, I think, every dad’s dream,” Blair said.

“I think it’s gonna be kind of tough for him to just stay quiet on the sideline,” Eden said, laughing. “I know, after the game, he’ll give me a couple of pointers, which I’ll always appreciate.

“I’m really excited for him to be able to just sit back, relax, and enjoy some soccer.”