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Four years into the job, Chelsea DeVille realized her mindset wasn鈥檛 sustainable.

鈥淚 was being selfish, just worrying about wins and losses,鈥� said the Bemidji State women鈥檚 basketball head coach. 鈥淚 needed to start focusing on other people. Ever since I changed that -- whether we win or lose -- by doing good, I鈥檓 feeling good.鈥�

Wins were far more frequent in 2021, but it鈥檚 her slew of extracurriculars that have made on-court success more attainable and that much sweeter. DeVille鈥檚 鈥渄o good, feel good鈥� mantra has been the driving force toward her winning the 2021 Pioneer Sportsperson of the Year award.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to win basketball games, so if that鈥檚 the only joy and success you鈥檙e seeing, it can be a rough season,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淭he fact that I get to (invest) in young adults and see their wins, and see different successes by our athletic department, it鈥檚 really fruitful for me. There鈥檚 an opportunity for a win every single day in different avenues.鈥�

The Pioneer鈥檚 Sportsperson of the Year award, first introduced in 2020 , is meant to annually recognize a sports figure who significantly went above and beyond within the Bemidji community.

DeVille鈥檚 r茅sum茅 is hard to beat: She led the Beavers to their most successful season in decades , she鈥檚 an active leader in many BSU and community organizations, and she鈥檚 a tireless advocate for the Jane Comfort family.

鈥淚鈥檓 actually very thankful that I wear so many hats,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淕oing through losing seasons, sometimes you just focus on that and on yourself. I had to buck up and get out of my own hole that I dug, realize that it鈥檚 not about me.鈥�

More than a checklist

When you visit DeVille鈥檚 office, one of the first things you see is Maya Moore.

Moore is depicted on a wall hanging with her arms spread out, a recreation of Michael Jordan鈥檚 iconic 鈥淲ings鈥� poster.

Much like Moore, DeVille鈥檚 reach stretches far beyond the basketball court.

DeVille is the Senior Women Administrator for the university鈥檚 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She鈥檚 the huddle leader for Bemidji State鈥檚 chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes -- a group that has boomed locally in numbers and impact in recent years. And she鈥檚 on a committee for the Northwoods Battered Women鈥檚 Shelter, a nonprofit that provides shelter and safety from domestic violence.

And on top of all that, DeVille has developed a deep relationship with the Comfort family while raising financial support for Jane, a 4-year-old girl in Bemidji with Spinal Muscular Atrophy .

鈥淭he Comforts are my family now,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 just a checklist thing, it doesn't mean anything. 鈥� But it鈥檚 a forever friendship that we can continue to grow.鈥�

Jane鈥檚 parents, Megan and Bryant, both attended BSU. Megan is also a Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 graduate who played on the girls basketball team. Both have watched their daughter forge a relationship with someone who quickly became an honorary relative.

鈥淣ow, I鈥檝e kind of become Aunt Chelsea, which is awesome,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淛ane is the coolest kid ever. She鈥檚 so stinkin鈥� smart, and she鈥檚 sassy like her mom. She鈥檚 just the best.鈥�

Basketball breakthrough

On the hardwood, she鈥檚 as fierce as they come.

DeVille roams the sideline and conducts the huddle with authority. She blends her own playcalling with a genuine trust in her players, and late in close games, her eyes come alive with the opportunity to 鈥� play chess 鈥� with the other team.

In 2020-21, she coached the Beavers to their first winning season since 1995-96, and they reached the NSIC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2004. They also pulled off some landmark wins over foes that BSU hadn鈥檛 beaten in a long, long time, and DeVille鈥檚 peers ultimately named her the NSIC North Division Coach of the Year .

鈥淲e never changed how we were doing things as a whole, as a culture,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t just chipped away and finally broke through.鈥�

But perhaps even more impressive than the numbers or the X鈥檚 and O鈥檚 is the foundation of the program. The culture is built on hard work and goodwill, plus faith that the results will follow in turn.

In short: Do good, feel good .

鈥淎ny success that the women on our team have is a big win for us,鈥� DeVille said. 鈥淚t was fun to see all the work come through. And we didn鈥檛 change the course ever.鈥�

DeVille also needed patience. She expected a couple rocky years in order to recruit and develop her own players. But when wins still didn鈥檛 come, she finally told herself it was time to lose the woe-is-me mentality.

The results speak for themselves.

Once a South Dakota kid, DeVille鈥檚 long-term investment in Bemidji has paid off with a diverse portfolio of fulfilling roles. And in 2021, she was perhaps the most influential sports figure in the town that has become her home.

鈥淚 love this community,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 love the small-town feel of knowing people and branching out. 鈥� You get to know other members of the community, and I love that. They鈥檝e embraced me and supported me.鈥�

Pioneer Sportsperson of the Year winners

2021: Chelsea DeVille, BSU women's basketball head coach

2020: Troy Hendricks, BHS activities director

1/2: Chelsea DeVille has become "Aunt Chelsea" to Jane Comfort, a 4-year-old girl in Bemidji with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. (Contributed)

2/2: Chelsea DeVille smiles with the Bemidji State bench after a big shot during a November 2021 game at the BSU Gymnasium. (Micah Friez / Bemidji Pioneer)