A Chestermere High School alumna has joined some illustrious company after being inducted into the Alberta Schools Athletic Association's (ASAA) Hall of Fame.
Jody Bell said she was honoured when she found out her former Chestermere High basketball coach, Brian Utley, had nominated her for the Hall of Fame, which is only comprised of 20 other athletes.
“Oh my gosh, just sheer and utter surprise,” said Bell, when asked what her thoughts were when first finding out about the nomination and induction. “It’s a magnificent honour that I’m truly humbled by. The list of previous inductees is outstanding, and to be included in that is beyond humbling.
“I’m beyond appreciative for the nomination from Coach Utley, and the honour itself.”
To put her induction into perspective, Bell is the first Chestermere athlete and only the third athlete from Rocky View Schools (RVS) to be inducted into the ASAA Hall of Fame. She's only the 21st athlete overall to be inducted.
Bell was a star student-athlete for the Chestermere Lakers from 1998 to 2001, competing for the high school's volleyball, badminton, and track-and-field teams.
But it was on the basketball court that Bell truly excelled. According to Utley, the six-foot-two player was a three-time Rocky View Sports Association (RVSA) all-star, helping the Lakers to two divisional and one zone championship, while also earning a silver and gold at the ASAA 3A provincial championships.
As one of Chestermere High's most dominant student-athletes, Bell finished her high-school basketball career with 2,256 points, 1,440 rebounds, 383 blocked shots and a plus-minus efficiency rating of 2,605.
“She had a lot going for her, being very athletic, very committed, and her height certainly helped her out,” Utley said. “But she just excelled at pretty much everything she did – especially basketball.
“She could play any of the positions and we often used her as a point guard. She could do it all, offensively and defensively. With outstanding court vision, she made all of her teammates better. She was an outstanding three-point shooter.”
In addition to excelling for the Lakers every winter, Bell was also a three-time Alberta provincial team player and a two-year starter for the Canadian junior women's national team.
Understandably given her spectacular high-school career, Bell was recruited by over 50 university programs, according to Utley, before eventually accepting a full scholarship from the Texas Longhorns in 2001. In attending the University of Texas, she became the first Canadian to play for the team.
And she clearly contributed to the program's strong reputation. In her four years with Texas, the Longhorns qualified for the NCAA Championships each year, while winning two regular-season titles and two Big 12 championships. In 2003, the Longhorns played in the NCAA Final Four in front of 60,000 spectators. Only a close loss to Connecticut prevented Texas from playing in the national championship game.
Off the court, Bell also excelled. was an honour roll student from 2001-2003 at the University of Texas and named to the Big 12 Commissioners Honour roll. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology with a major in sport sanagement in 2005.
Utley said Bell's significant accomplishments warranted a nomination for the ASAA Hall of Fame, and he was only too happy to write the letter to the association.
While Bell's talent on the court was easily apparent, he said her work ethic and dedication to supporting her teammates were just as notable.
“She was one of the most hard-working and dedicated players I ever worked with – for three years, she never missed a practice or a game,” he said.
A few years after graduating from Texas, Bell returned to Alberta, and still calls Chestermere home to this day.
The Bells are very much a basketball family, with Bell's sister and mother having also played university basketball. And with Bell's two young daughters starting to play the sport, the tradition looks like it could continue another generation.
“My kids are just getting started in it, so I’m enjoying watching them fall in love with the game,” she said. “I’m excited to see where it goes from there.”
Wrapping up the interview, Bell said she wanted to thank Utley for the nomination, adding his mentorship played a key role in her success over the years, both on and off the court.
“A lot of coaches come in and out of our lives, but I was very fortunate to have two of them that, still to this day, I lean back on the lessons they instilled in me,” she said “Brian is one of those. They were foundation-forming. We were taught to be more than just a basketball player but a good human instead. I still look back on those moments consistently.”
