Excellent lessons learned my friendIt's all good. I'm goofing around mostly. My kiddo is 11. It would be an adjustment for me, but she could well be more interested in boys and her Etsy shop in 3 years vs. soccer. I take it in stride and just enjoy every precious minute of watching her play, as it is one of my life's greatest joys.
I have used my time persuing this forum to glean insight from the parents of the olders like yourself who can point out the issues to look out for and be frank about their own mistakes.
As a result of this forum, I 1) never talk about the game in the car ride home unless she wants to, 2) scout the opportunities and the various pathways, but make sure she has a voice and participates in the decisions, 3) see her coach and her love of the game as the top concerns right now, knowing things will fall into place as needed provided we keep an open mind, see what's out there, and smell the roses along the way, 4) know this will be over sooner than I think, and to enjoy every minute with my kids, and 5) make sure her grades are a top priority if she wants to play in college, as that doesn't get overlooked for many players.
Just glad we are having normal conversations again. This forum was a bit much the last year. I had to step back.