In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with Maddie Troyer - a former Division I runner and Head Sports Nutritionist at SMU, now working with the ⁨https://www.instagram.com/nutrition_with_wendi/ team - to break down one of the most overlooked performance factors in youth sports today: in-game fueling.

Most young athletes think fueling is simple: drink water and keep playing. But at higher levels, especially in extreme heat, fast-paced games, or multi-game tournament weekends, water alone might not cut it. Hydration, electrolytes, and quick-access carbs become the difference between finishing strong and hitting the wall.

Maddie explains exactly what most athletes get wrong — and why in-game fueling is about far more than thirst. It’s about maintaining blood glucose, avoiding energy crashes, replacing sodium lost through sweat, and keeping your muscles firing when the game gets tight.

But this conversation goes way deeper than “water vs sports drinks.”

Maddie breaks down the science athletes never learn but desperately need. Things like:

Carb timing, electrolyte balance, sweat rate, recovery windows, and how in-game fueling impacts decision-making, reaction time, and late-game explosiveness. Not fad diets. Not body-image trends. Not the “smaller is better” myth that derails so many young athletes.

She also talks about practical, athlete-friendly options players can actually use: sports drinks, electrolyte packets, gels, chews, honey sticks, applesauce pouches, bananas, pretzels — real fueling solutions that fit in a bag, on a bench, or in a locker.

And for parents, Maddie gives the message every family needs:

Under-fueling isn’t just a nutrition mistake — it’s a performance limiter.

Your athlete might be training hard, but if they’re not fueling right, they’re leaving half their potential on the table.

This episode covers:

- The difference between hydration and fueling (and why athletes need both)

- When water is enough — and when it isn’t

- How to avoid mid-game energy crashes

- Why electrolytes matter more than most athletes realize

- The best quick-carb options for tournaments and long practices

- How fueling impacts speed, decision-making, and stamina

- What parents can do to help their athlete fuel consistently

- Why in-game nutrition is the easiest competitive advantage most players ignore

Maddie’s story is a reminder that great performance isn’t just about training — it’s about energy availability, smart fueling, and respecting what your body needs to compete. The right nutrition can elevate everything: your recovery, your consistency, and your confidence in big moments.

At Athletes Untapped, we believe performance isn’t one-dimensional. Skill, mindset, training, and fueling all play a role in helping athletes reach their full potential. Maddie brings clarity to a topic every athlete and parent should understand.

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by https://athletesuntapped.com - the nation’s #1 platform for private sports coaching. Our mission is to help athletes excel through great coaching and great habits, on and off the field.

Listen weekly on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram for clips and highlights: https://www.instagram.com/athletesuntapped/

In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with https://www.instagram.com/ganon_baker_/ — a pioneer in modern player development who’s trained hundreds of pros, thousands of kids, and was producing coaching DVDs long before social media existed. Three decades into the game, he’s still obsessed with the craft.

So we asked him the question every young hooper wants to know:

What actually separates players who level up… from the ones who fall behind?

His answer was simple — and powerful:

H2O: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Create Opportunities.

Ganon has coached All-League athletes, champions, and future pros. But the ones who truly rise aren’t just the most talented. They’re the ones who stay grounded after success, chase growth instead of attention, and keep showing up when nobody’s watching. He’s seen players lift trophies at night… and still be back in the gym at 5am the next morning. That’s the difference.

And this conversation goes deep into what players misunderstand about development today.

Everyone wants highlights, mixtapes, and flashy moves — but the best trainers in the world preach something different: footwork, pace, balance, shot prep, decision-making, discipline, communication, and film study. Players think they need more moves. Ganon argues they need more mastery.

He breaks down the difference between kids who train skills and kids who train standards. Why being coachable is a competitive advantage. How to build habits that translate on varsity, and why the details — angles, reads, timing, space, stance — matter more than anything you see on TikTok.

We also talk about what parents get wrong about “development.” Reps matter, but so does mentality. You can invest in training, but you can’t want it for your kid. Humility, hunger, and opportunity — the H2O mindset — has to come from the athlete.

This episode covers:

• What separates good players from truly great ones
• Why humility and hunger matter more than talent
• How the H2O mindset shapes long-term development
• The fundamentals young hoopers ignore but desperately need
• The difference between skill trainers and real developers
• Why pros obsess over footwork, pace, and habits
• The mindset Ganon learned from training LeBron: “Greatness is consistency.”
• What parents can do that actually supports their athlete
• How players can create their own opportunities at the next level

Ganon’s story is a reminder that development isn’t about overnight results — it’s about stacking days. It’s about discipline, consistency, and a mindset that stays the same whether you’re a beginner or a pro.

At Athletes Untapped, we believe the best coaches don’t just build better players — they build better people. Ganon has been doing that for 30+ years, and this episode is a blueprint every athlete and parent should hear.

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by https://athletesuntapped.com — the nation’s #1 platform for private sports coaching. Our mission is to help athletes reach their full potential by connecting them with great coaches who elevate both skill and mindset.

Listen weekly on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram for clips and highlights: https://www.instagram.com/athletesuntapped/

In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with Isaac Hadac — a small-town New York athlete who played at multiple college football programs and has become one of the clearest voices on football training for young athletes.

If you spend any time around youth sports today, you see it everywhere: parents running their kid’s recruiting process. Parents controlling the Instagram account, sending the DMs, emailing coaches, even trying to negotiate offers.

But Isaac puts it plainly:

College coaches don’t want to talk to parents — they want to hear from the athlete.

Growing up far from major exposure, Isaac had to learn ownership the hard way. He didn’t have politics, connections, or a giant platform. What he did have was initiative — the willingness to message coaches himself, share film, follow up, and advocate for his own development. And that’s exactly what earned him opportunities at the next level.

But this conversation goes way deeper than recruiting mechanics.

Isaac breaks down the things young football players overlook long before the college process even begins. The habits that actually separate varsity from JV… and college-ready from not even close. Things like:

Footwork, discipline, conditioning, film study, and becoming coachable.

Not the highlight tapes. Not the gear. Not the 7v7 clout.

He talks about the difference between players who train skills and players who train standards. Why the best athletes he played with weren’t always the most talented — they were the ones who communicated, took criticism, prepared like pros, and made every rep matter.

And for parents, Isaac gives the reminder every family needs:

Support your kid. Encourage them. Help them stay organized.
But don’t drive the process for them.

Ownership is part of development — and coaches can see instantly when an athlete lacks it.

This episode covers:

• The #1 mistake parents make during the recruiting process

• Why coaches trust athletes who communicate for themselves

• What growing up in a small town taught Isaac about work ethic

• The football fundamentals athletes ignore but desperately need

• How to stand out to coaches without politics, exposure, or hype

• Why accountability beats talent in every locker room

• How athletes can build confidence through preparation, not perfection

• What parents can do that actually helps their athlete — and what hurts

  
  

Isaac’s story is a reminder that recruiting isn’t about being discovered — it’s about being ready. It’s about maturity, communication, and doing the uncomfortable work that most players skip.

At Athletes Untapped, we believe the recruiting process is just another part of an athlete’s growth — an opportunity to build character, independence, and ownership. Isaac embodies that message perfectly.

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by h⁠ttps://athletesuntapped.com — the nation’s #1 platform for private sports coaching. Our mission is to help athletes reach their full potential by connecting them with great coaches who elevate both skill and mindset.

Listen weekly on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram for clips and highlights: https://www.instagram.com/athletesuntapped/