Professional athletes are joining the book club trend, organizing reading groups for team bonding. NBA’s San Antonio Spurs players Victor Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes are leading a book club to encourage more teammates to participate. Similarly, the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, including players like Will Smith and Tyler Toffoli, have a book club where the reading list is kept secret. Athletes from PWHL and WNBA teams, such as Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Toronto Tempo, and New York Liberty, also engage in book club activities to connect off the field.
Toronto Sceptres forward Claire Dalton initiated a book club with goalie Raygan Kirk, inspired by their previous team experiences. They hold book discussions during the season, sourcing conversation prompts from Google and Reddit. The club has read titles like “Gone Before Goodbye” and “The Heir Apparent,” fostering camaraderie among about 15 players. The Toronto Tempo, a new WNBA expansion team, also launched a book club to strengthen team chemistry and explore diverse perspectives through literature.
Guard Kia Nurse of the Toronto Tempo sees reading as a valuable escape from the pressures of sports, providing a different identity outside of athletics. Through book discussions, athletes like Nurse learn more about their teammates’ viewpoints and deepen their connections. The impact of these book clubs extends beyond the teams, sparking community events like Sceptres Storytime, where players engage with children through reading activities to promote literacy and diverse role models.