In today’s culture, book clubs have become a popular trend among various personalities like musician Dua Lipa, influencer Morgann Book, actor Reese Witherspoon, and broadcaster Oprah. However, an unexpected twist in this trend is the emergence of book clubs organized by professional athletes for their teammates.
In the NBA, San Antonio Spurs players Victor Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes have initiated a book club and are encouraging more team members to join. Similarly, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks boast a book club comprising Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, and Ty Dellandrea, where it’s become a running joke that players keep their current reads a secret.
Athletes from the PWHL and the WNBA, including teams such as the Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Toronto Tempo, and New York Liberty, have also embraced book clubs as a means of bonding. Forward Claire Dalton from the Toronto Sceptres shared that the book club was a natural progression from her experience with the Montreal Victoire, where she initiated the club with goalie Raygan Kirk to discuss recent reads and relax with teammates over coffee.
The Sceptres’ book club discussions, fueled by prompts from Google and Reddit, have covered titles like “Gone Before Goodbye” by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben, “The Heir Apparent” by Rebecca Armitage, and “Palm Villa” by Ashley Hartley. During the regular season, around 15 players participated in the Sceptres’ book club, with potential changes expected due to free agency and expansion in the offseason.
The Toronto Tempo’s book club was inspired by guard Kia Nurse, who introduced the idea to teammates like Nyara Sabally, fostering camaraderie in the newly formed WNBA expansion team. Nurse highlighted the importance of friendship in sports and how a book club can kickstart team unity and understanding.
For Nurse, reading serves as a valuable escape from the pressures of athletics, offering a new identity beyond the realm of sports. The positive impact of these team book clubs has extended to the community, with events like Sceptres Storytime organized in collaboration with The Children’s Book Bank to promote reading and literacy among children.
By showcasing diverse reading role models like athletes, these initiatives aim to break stereotypes and inspire children to embrace reading as an enjoyable and engaging activity, reinforcing the message that anyone can be a reader.