Professional athletes are now joining the book club trend, adding a new dimension to team bonding. San Antonio Spurs players Victor Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes, along with the San Jose Sharks’ Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, and Ty Dellandrea, are examples of athletes engaging in book clubs. The Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victoire, Toronto Tempo, and New York Liberty of the PWHL and the WNBA also partake in book club activities.
Claire Dalton, a forward for the Toronto Sceptres, initiated the team’s book club with goalie Raygan Kirk. The club, which attracted around 15 players during the regular season, facilitated discussions on books like “Gone Before Goodbye,” “The Heir Apparent,” and “Palm Villa.” The Toronto Tempo, a new addition to the WNBA, established a book club to strengthen off-court chemistry, with players like Kia Nurse and Nyara Sabally embracing the idea.
For these athletes, reading is not just an escape but a means to explore different perspectives and foster camaraderie. The impact of these book clubs extends beyond the teams, with social media posts attracting fan interest and even inspiring community events like the Sceptres Storytime at The Children’s Book Bank in Toronto. By promoting reading as a collective and enjoyable activity, athletes like Raygan Kirk and Jessie McPherson are setting diverse reading role models for children and breaking stereotypes about the relationship between athletics and academics.