Professional athletes are joining the book club trend, following the lead of celebrities like Dua Lipa, Morgann Book, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah. In the NBA, San Antonio Spurs players Victor Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes are encouraging their teammates to join their book club. Similarly, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, including Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, and Ty Dellandrea, have a book club that has become a humorous mystery as players keep their reading choices under wraps.
Athletes from the PWHL and the WNBA, such as the Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Toronto Tempo, and New York Liberty, are bonding over books. Toronto Sceptres forward Claire Dalton, a book club enthusiast, brought the idea to her current team after being part of a similar club with the Montreal Victoire. The Sceptres’ book club, initiated by Dalton and goalie Raygan Kirk, meets during the season to discuss various books sourced from Google and Reddit.
The Toronto Tempo’s book club was inspired by guard Kia Nurse, who introduced the idea to her teammates, including Nyara Sabally. The club, consisting of six or seven players, fosters team chemistry for the newly formed WNBA team through engaging discussions about books like “It Should Have Been You” by Andrea Mara. Nurse values the unique perspectives her teammates bring to book discussions, highlighting how books offer an escape and a way to diversify identities beyond athletics.
The impact of these sports teams’ book clubs extends beyond their locker rooms. The Toronto Sceptres’ promotion of reading on social media generated significant interest, leading to collaborations with organizations like The Children’s Book Bank. The Sceptres hosted a community event, Sceptres Storytime, where players read books to children, emphasizing the importance of diverse reading role models and breaking stereotypes about the relationship between academics and athletics.
Overall, these athlete-led book clubs not only strengthen team bonds but also inspire communities to embrace reading as a fun and inclusive activity.
