Power play: Swin Cash, WNBA Star. (discover the benefits[TM]).

Swin Cash was only 7 years old when she became a regular patron of the public playground near her home in McKeesport, Pa. The basketball courts there provided the perfect outlet for the energetic youngster to develop her skills, stay fit, have some fun and spend time with her friends.

Those hours in the park laid the foundation for a basketball career that's one of the brightest among today's young crop of WNBA stars. After helping the University of Connecticut capture the 2002 NCAA title, Cash was drafted second overall by the Detroit Shock, and finished her rookie season among the league's leaders in 18 different categories.

Parks & Recreation: How did you get your start in basketball?

Cash: My mother played basketball, and everyone in my family was really into sports. My mother was a basketball coach at a high school, so I was always around it. I started playing when I was 7, and I just loved being competitive. I always wanted to prove to everyone that I could play.

Parks & Recreation: What are some of your memories from those early years?

Cash: I always remember my mother yelling from the stands and encouraging me. I could always hear her voice over everyone's in the gym, even if the gym was packed. She always bad encouraging words for me, but like I said, she's a coach, so when she would get on me, I could hear that, too. But having her there to support me is one of my best memories.

Parks & Recreation: What other sports and activities did you take part in as a youth? What from those activities helped you later on?

Cash: Everything. I played baseball, softball, soccer, ran track, did gymnastics when I was very young and I was a cheerleader. I did a lot of other sports, and I didn't really buckle down and play basketball until high school. I took a little bit from every sport. I would have to say that different sports help you in different ways, whether it's footwork, eye-hand coordination or whatever it may be. I think every sport is kind of intertwined.

Parks & Recreation: Almost none of the young girls playing in recreational leagues will go on to the college, much less professional level. Why is it important that they have the opportunity to participate at this age?

Cash: It's important because I think sports gives them an avenue to learn how to play as a team, as well as other skills they're going to need later in life, whether it's in the business field or working with people in the community. Sports definitely helps with teaching responsibility and discipline, and it's not always about having to do something by yourself individually.

Parks & Recreation: In tight budgetary times, with the nation's attention turned overseas, sports and recreation seem to many to be a luxury our society can't afford. What do you say when you hear this line of thinking?

Cash: I say that it will hurt our youth's future if they're not able to play sports. For me, sports was a way to release some of the frustrations I had in my childhood. I grew up in a low-income, urban community, and sports served as a way for me to get out. For some of my friends who grew up in the suburbs, with more money, sports was also a way for them to learn about diversity and interact with people like me. That makes you a better person later on in life. So I think sports are a must for everyone--boys, girls, everyone.