Heather Heddens, born in Burlington, Iowa, on February 27, 1955, was raised in Mediapolis, Iowa where she grew up attending and playing basketball games. In high school, Heddens was both valedictorian and athlete. Her 6 on 6 girls’ basketball team played in the Iowa State Championship tournament every year she was on the team. In 1973, Heddens helped the Mediapolis Bullettes go undefeated the entire season and win the State Championship.

After graduating from Mediapolis High school, she attended University of Iowa. While Heddens did not partake in collegiate basketball (University of Iowa collegiate women’s basketball started in 1974), she played for hours in the university gym and on the intramural coed team of her sorority. She became a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1980 and had a five-year stint as a captain in the US Air Force Dental Corp.

In 1986, Heddens moved back to Columbus Junction, Iowa. There, she started her own dentistry practice along with her very first high school girls’ basketball coaching position. Her first year as coach, they still played her game, 6 on 6. However, that would be the last year 6 on 6 basketball was played at Columbus Junction.

Heather Heddens would continue to coach for another three years. She would also become an adjunct associate professor in the College of Dentistry at her alma mater.