Book clubs are gaining popularity among professional athletes, with NBA and NHL players joining the trend. San Antonio Spurs NBA players Victor Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes have initiated a book club for their team, while the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, including players Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, and Ty Dellandrea, have also formed a book club. Athletes from the PWHL and the WNBA, such as the Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Toronto Tempo, and New York Liberty, have embraced book clubs as a way to connect off the field.
Toronto Sceptres forward Claire Dalton, formerly with the Montreal Victoire, introduced a book club to the team in Toronto along with goalie Raygan Kirk. The Sceptres’ book club meetings, held over coffee, have featured books like “Gone Before Goodbye” by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben, “The Heir Apparent” by Rebecca Armitage, and “Palm Villa” by Ashley Hartley. The club had around 15 participants during the regular season, with potential changes due to free agency and team expansions.
Similarly, the Toronto Tempo’s book club was inspired by guard Kia Nurse and teammate Nyara Sabally, who had experience with book clubs in the past. The team’s first book discussion, centered around the thriller “It Should Have Been You” by Andrea Mara, took place during travel time to a game. Nurse emphasized the value of understanding teammates through book discussions, highlighting the diverse perspectives that enrich their conversations.
For athletes like Nurse, reading serves as a meaningful escape from the pressures of sports and allows them to explore different identities beyond athletics. The impact of these teams’ book clubs extends beyond their locker rooms, with social media posts garnering significant interest from fans. The Toronto Sceptres’ engagement with their book club even led to a community collaboration with The Children’s Book Bank, showcasing the positive influence of reading and literacy programs.
By promoting reading as a collective and enjoyable activity, athletes like Raygan Kirk and Jessie McPherson from the Toronto Sceptres are inspiring children to embrace reading and diverse role models. This initiative aims to break stereotypes and encourage children to see reading as an accessible and enjoyable hobby, with events like Sceptres Storytime fostering a love for reading among young audiences.