It seems like book clubs are becoming a popular trend among various groups, including celebrities like Dua Lipa, Morgann Book, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah. However, an unexpected twist in this trend is the emergence of book clubs organized by professional athletes for their teammates.
In the NBA, players from the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama, and Harrison Barnes, are actively promoting a book club within the team. Similarly, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, including Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, and Ty Dellandrea, have a secretive book club where the reading choices remain undisclosed.
Athletes from the PWHL and the WNBA, such as the Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Toronto Tempo, and New York Liberty, also engage in book club activities to bond over their shared love for reading. Toronto Sceptres forward Claire Dalton initiated a book club with teammate Raygan Kirk, drawing inspiration from their previous book club experience in Montreal.
The Sceptres’ book club meetings during the season involved lively discussions about books like “Gone Before Goodbye” by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben, “The Heir Apparent” by Rebecca Armitage, and “Palm Villa” by Ashley Hartley, with around 15 players participating.
The Toronto Tempo’s book club was influenced by guard Kia Nurse, who introduced the idea to her teammates, including Nyara Sabally. The team, newly formed in the WNBA, leveraged activities like the book club to foster camaraderie off the court.
Reading offers athletes like Nurse a valuable escape from the pressures of sports, allowing them to explore different worlds and characters. The impact of these teams sharing their book club experiences on social media has been significant, generating community interest and even leading to collaborative events promoting literacy, such as the Sceptres Storytime at The Children’s Book Bank.
Through these book clubs, athletes are not only finding a way to relax and connect but also inspiring young readers and breaking stereotypes about the relationship between sports and academics. By showcasing diverse reading role models like Raygan Kirk and Jessie McPherson, these athletes are helping to make reading more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.