photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Tyrel Reed talks with Chonner Ludolf, 11, front, Braelyn Falls, 13, and Brogan Falls, 12, right, upon the team's arrival at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio on Wednesday, March 23, 2011. The three kids are from Leroy, Kan., which is near Reed's hometown of Burlington.

Former Kansas basketball guard Tyrel Reed is writing a diary during his free time in Belgium, where he is playing professional basketball.

Life in Europe is definitely different than my life in Lawrence, Kansas. First off, I still find it hard to fathom that almost everything is closed on Sundays throughout Europe and all stores close by 8 p.m. daily. I guess I’m just spoiled in Lawrence to be able to stop at Wal-Mart or Target any time/day of the week and get what I need.

However, one thing Lawrence lacks is a waffle stand on every corner. Let me tell you, they are fabulous! But let me get my mind off my stomach for a moment and tell you about life as a basketball player.

At least I am playing pro ball, unlike what the NBA players are going through back in the United States. I’ve tried to follow that a bit via the newspapers and TV, but it still looks like the same mess it was before I left. So at least I know I am playing ball over here. 

Training camp is Monday through Saturday and consists of running, weightlifting, and practice. The first week we were on the track running each morning at 8. We started out running about 2 miles per day and after a few weeks we reached the 5 mile mark. Three times a week we would head to the weight room after conditioning and get a good lift in. Throughout all of this we practice from 10-12 and 4:30-6:30 each day. I guess you could kind of say it was like a 6-week Jayhawk boot camp!

Our first regular season game was October 8th. We have cut out some of the hard core conditioning, but I also know from my past experiences at KU that you need to be in top shape to perform. It’s like a car, gotta get it tuned up and ready to put into drive.

“Reed All About It: Driven to be a Jayhawk” is written by former Jayhawk Academic All-American guard Tyrel Reed. The book, from Ascend Books of Overland Park, is now available at most local bookstores as well as select grocery stores and specialty retailers. This book is also available on all popular e-book platforms including iPad, Kindle and Nook.