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The Heather Experience
Three teammates walking onto the court together, arms around each other's shoulders, seen from behind.

EXPERIENCE

the game through a different lens.

Media Days. Athlete advocacy. Parent resources. Live experiences. All built from years spent close enough to this world to understand what it asks of the people inside it.

Heather kneeling courtside with her camera and a basketball, smiling at the camera during a game.

The Founder

Most people have met me through the photos I’ve taken. But what happened behind them changed my life.

Over the years, a camera gave me access to so much more than the game itself. It brought me close to the athletes, the families, the coaches, the challenging moments, the celebrations, and the parts of this world most people never get to see.

The more I witnessed, the more I realized the photos were only part of the story. What I was really being trusted with was a deeper understanding of the people inside the game and what this experience was asking of them.

That changed the way I saw my work. It changed the way I understood my own son. And eventually, it changed what I knew I was here to build.

Come learn a little more about the story behind The Heather Experience.

Big News.

My first book is on its way!

What Comes Home

Why they say they’re good, and what to do when they say it.

Available for Preorder

Digital E-Book + Narrated Audio · Releases September 1, 2026

A Note from Heather

I wrote this for parents doing their best to love their kids through a world that can ask a lot of both of you. I hope it helps you feel a little more prepared for whatever comes home.

Love, Heather

What Comes Home book cover: a black-and-white photograph of a young basketball player seated on the bench, head down, towel over his face.

From the Library of The Heather Experience

Start Here

The Car Ride Home

A free guide for one of the most important moments in youth sports: what happens after the game.

The Car Ride Home guide cover, by Heather Cleaves: a view from inside a car at sunset, with the title The Car Ride Home and the line 'The most important conversation you'll ever not have.'

Free Guide

A mom on her feet cheering with both arms raised above her two kids seated on the gym floor, surrounded by a packed, cheering crowd.

October 2026

The kids get one. And so should the parents.

The Heather Experience Presents

The Parent Tip-Off Experience

A first-of-its-kind live event built for the people raising, supporting, and guiding today’s young athletes. For one unforgettable day, voices from across youth sports take the stage for powerful talks, expert panels, athlete perspectives, honest conversations, and the kind of insight families are usually left to figure out somewhere along the way.

Understand the world your athlete is walking into. Hear from the people who know this journey from every side. And walk into the season with more knowledge, clarity, and confidence for whatever comes next.

This isn’t another parent meeting. It’s the event youth sports has been missing.

Before the season starts asking more of your family, come get ready for it.

For the Athlete

The Media Day Experience

Est. 2020

Created specifically for the young athlete, The Media Day Experience gives teams a day to come together, step into the spotlight, and be represented with the same level of excellence they bring to their sport.

Beyond the photographs, it’s about the energy, the connection, and the moment an athlete feels truly seen.

  • Five Eagles basketball players draped in an American flag beneath the hoop, smoke on either side, three standing and two kneeling in front.
  • A boys basketball team in red and white Warriors and Fallbrook jerseys, gathered together on a dark gym floor with basketballs, dramatic side lighting.
  • A San Marcos athlete in a football helmet and basketball jersey, holding a basketball, an American flag draped over one shoulder, blue-lit locker room.
  • Black-and-white portrait of a Seakings basketball player, curly hair, looking down and smiling, holding the top of her jersey.
  • Black-and-white portrait of two baseball players in pinstripe uniforms, catcher's gear and mitts held up near their faces, smoke in the background.
  • A Lancers basketball player in a purple and black jersey seated on a folding chair, foot resting on a basketball, smoke swirling behind him.
  • Two SFC football players in red jerseys and helmets pointing at the camera in front of a 'Home of the Eagles' sign.
  • Four coaches in 'P' team polos posed together candidly, sunglasses, laughing and pointing.
  • Two Olympia basketball players seated on the court with a basketball between them, teal smoke in the background.
  • Black-and-white portrait of an Eagles basketball player with braided hair, holding his jersey, dramatic gym lighting.

Stay close.

I’ll let you know what’s coming next.