During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Moroccan team won the hearts of people worldwide with their Quarter Final victory against Portugal. They celebrated and honored their mothers, a tradition that has been a norm in the Muslim communities where a mother’s position is held in high regard.
However, when the news of Achraf Hakimi’s divorce broke on the internet after he was involved in a rape scandal, his unique approach to managing his wealth grabbed attention. The Moroccan football player had allocated all his wealth to his mother, a move that got me thinking about my own parenting strategies.
As my husband and I live in a country that emphasizes education and sports, we often discuss the possibility of our son becoming a pro athlete. Our son is tall for his age and is active, so we naturally talk about introducing him to basketball and soccer as he grows.
However, every time we pass the basketball court near our house, I ask my husband, “What will we do if he ever turns pro? How do we keep gold diggers away?”
It’s no secret that athletes attract the wrong type of women, and while most are married to good women with successful families, some fall prey to women looking for a big payout. Hakimi’s wife, who is a successful actress in her own right, petitioned for half his assets during their divorce proceedings, only to find out that the man owns nothing. Even his paycheque goes straight to his mother!
As a mother, I want to teach my son about the world and how to protect himself. He needs to learn how to discern good from bad, make the right moves, and become financially literate. While Hakimi is using his mother as a shield, it raises the question of whether he would know how to manage his wealth if she was no longer there.
Ultimately, as mothers, we face the challenge of preparing our children for a world without us, and they need to learn how to manage with or without us. Hakimi’s strategy is commendable, but it’s vital to strike a balance between mothering and teaching our children to be independent and responsible for their finances.
In conclusion, mothering pro athletes is not without its challenges, but it’s essential to teach our children to be responsible, independent, and financially literate. The question is, how do we achieve this without compromising our protective instincts?
