Hockey coaches stress that success is a team effort, but reality suggests that one or two star players can make a major difference on a team's winning percentage. In general, there is less emphasis on individual hockey players working on improving their skills compared to the emphasis coaches place on team drills and practice games so parents can see their son or daughter get playing time instead of sitting on the bench.

Speed Skating is largely a individual sport except for relay races, especially on the hand off of the baton between skaters.  Aggressive and smart skating are extremely important in short track events. The time watch measures the time off the block and stamina are important factors in long and short track events.

Synchronized Skating teams are constrained by the weakest skater on the team. Individual abilities defines the team's ability to perform more difficult team skating moves that are part of the program's choreography. Continuing to work on individual skating skills is a very high priority established by team coaches and choreographers.

Theater-On-Ice team choreographers have a lot of flexibility to choosing individuals whose free skating (jumping and spinning) abilities need to be reasonably well matched. Their ability to consistent perform the free skating elements and their primary direction of rotation are important factors.  Skaters of different ages and skill levels can be mixed together in one number.

Curling is a sport with specific positions that have different requirements. Individual skills may make an athletic more suited for one position than another. This sport is a mixture of individual skills, strategies of play, and the execution of putting the stones exactly where the skip has identified.