On his first game back.

On his first shift.

On his first pass.

Like God on skates.

That was Mario Lemieux's first point after he had left the National Hockey League (NHL) back in 1997. The first sports player/owner came out of retirement on December 27, 2000, to play on his team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, which he has been with ever since his rookie year.

If that's not inspirational to the dedicated athlete, the following will make your hard work look like nothing.

Saying that he wanted to "slowly ease back in but make an impact on the team" to ESPN after his first game was an understatement. The 35-year-old had two assists and one goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs, beating them 5-3. He has logged on an impressive 24 points in 12 games and was voted on the North American Team for the 2001 NHL All-Star Game.

For an athlete who is in his mid-thirties and took two breaks during his NHL career (once for fighting Hodgkin's disease and the second for back problems) is considered through in the playing career of pro sports-the public would never hear about him again.

But this is Mario Lemieux. He has done everything and more. He is sixth in all-time scoring and is constantly compared to Wayne Gretzky, the legend of hockey. He also broke the 500-goal mark, a milestone that only few players have reached late in their career. Not to mention that as an 18-year-old rookie, he took the then failing Penguins and led them to two Stanley Cups in 1990 and 1991 (he won the cup in '91 only a week after he had been out of the play with back surgery and an infected bone).

Unbelievable. If there were a little kid looking for a role model these days, Lemieux would be the number one candidate.

But don't forget what Lemieux has done off the ice. When the Penguins were in a financial crush and were looking into possible options of moving the team, Lemieux saved the franchise by purchasing it in September of 1999 and kept the team in Pittsburgh, a place that has taken care of him for nearly 20 years.

So why did Lemieux retire in 1997? Even before he left he was a legitimate contender for the Hart Trophy, and now after his retirement, he shows no sign of weakness-it is as though he never left the league for one day. Not like Gretzky or even Gordie Howe, who looked like they were about to pass out half way into the second period before their retirements (keep in mind that they were around Lemieux's age when they left the NHL).

The Penguin's team chemistry has amazingly increased with Lemieux around again. When he left, right winger Jaromir Jagr fell into a scoring slump, where in seasons prior he was beating or closely trailing Lemieux in scoring. Jagr's fall was so extreme that he had asked Lemieux to be traded to another team, something that Lemieux outright refused.

But after Lemieux came back to play, Jagr's performance has picked up. In Lemieux's first game, Jagr logged in four points when he only had one point the night before.

Lemieux is also playing the game of hockey right. A player of his caliber could cost many millions a season.

"I didn't know if I wanted to come back and play or not," Lemieux said to ESPN reporters after his announcement of coming back to the NHL. "I couldn't pay myself enough money to play."

By owning the Penguins and playing for them at the same time, he is saving his team some money, improving the team's record, and getting that extra shot to a third Stanley Cup.

This "Cinderella" story is a great inspiration to anybody-whether you're a competitor in high school or in the "real world."

Lemieux's comeback has already made a difference in one Pomona athlete's life. While playing in-line hockey, a senior was struck in the eye by a hockey puck and became partially blinded. He was told to stop playing his loved sport as a result.

Now this senior almost hit an all-time low because he had to miss out on the action, but the inspiration of Lemieux's comeback caused something that would almost spark a whole new sports story.

The injured senior had quit at the beginning of his team's season. While the squad at least went to the playoffs by a wildcard victory, his absence gave them less of a chance to win.

This is when the senior decided to take hold and step up for his team, even against the advice of his doctor. With his help, the team won and became the champions that season.

Like God on skates.