Whether involved in a team or an individual sport, top athletes will (either periodically or continuously) look to improve. Yet, whilst the honing of new skills is a marker of progress, it can take time before those skills are incorporated into a game without hindering an athlete's performance. Thus, an athlete may be encouraged to go back to basics (at least temporarily), that is, to rediscover those skills which allowed them to excel in the first place instead of over-complicating the game. With time, top athletes learn to draw on their most skillful techniques more effectually. This is a lesson which those who enjoy mathematics could borrow — new techniques may be swiftly learned but understanding how they fit in with previously acquired knowledge takes more time.