The Trials will take place at Bletchley Leisure Centre on Saturday 20th September, and are open to Breakers club members who have registered for a community session for the 2025-26 season.

U14 Boys – 10:00-11:15am
U16 Boys – 11:15-12:30pm

You can book your place at one of the trials HERE.

Development Teams are for talented players who are selected from our community sessions for an additional weekly session with some of our most experience coaches.

The Development Teams act as a bridge between our community (participation) and Junior National League (performance) sessions.

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Effective immediately, Adam – who was previously the Academy Assistant Coach – will oversee the programme which has both boys and girls Under-19 teams as well as a thriving Junior Programme.

Coming to work alongside Adam will be Ben Stanley, the Breakers Men’s Head Coach also set to take up an Academy role as Associate Head Coach. With the coaching staff in place and no shortage of enthusiasm for the future, Coach Adam is certainly looking forward to his new role.

“I’m incredibly proud to have been given the opportunity to lead the MK5D Academy, an elite basketball programme built by people who care deeply about giving our players the best possible experience during their time with us and beyond,” he said.

“To have the backing and support of everyone at the 5D Trust, Shenley Brook End School and MK Breakers means everything to me, and my challenge now is to maintain the incredibly high standards set by my predecessor Billy Beddow-Patel, while taking the Academy forward into a new era.

“It is a task that I can’t wait to start, with an exciting year ahead for our WEABL, CBL and Junior Academy teams. The club and the Academy are stacked with basketball talent, and it’s our job to help those players have success on the court whilst also instilling habits that will help them thrive away from the game.”

Everyone at MK Breakers wish Adam and Ben every success in their new roles.

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Difference maker. Legacy builder. Winner. Billy Beddow-Patel has been all those things since arriving in Milton Keynes back in 2021. Charged with building the club’s Basketball Academy at Shenley Brook End School and the Breakers Men’s Team, he approached both with unmistakable levels of enthusiasm, dedication and hard work.

But now, having delivered four years of sustained success, he has decided it is time to step away from the sport completely. “It is with a full heart and mixed emotions that I share that I’m stepping away from coaching basketball,” Coach Billy said after announcing his intention to leave the club later this month.

“For the past decade, I’ve lived by the words ‘we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.’ In chasing that idea, my passion became my profession, my hobby became my work. And somewhere in between, we found excellence – not just in wins, but in impact.

“But impact has its cost,” he continued. “Coaching asks for everything. Too often, we hear winning coaches thank their families for what they’ve sacrificed, and that’s always felt off to me.

“So now it’s time to live by the first part of that quote and repeatedly show up for my family.”

Building a legacy

“We would like to thank Billy for his contributions to the club and academy over the past four years,” said club General Manager Josh Merrington. “He has worked tirelessly to achieve excellence both on and off the court, having a positive impact on so many people within the club and wider basketball community.

“Billy has laid some incredibly strong foundations for both the academy and the men’s team, taking them from their infancy to where they are today.

“We would like to wish Billy and his family the best of luck in the future.”

Looking back over those four trophy-laden years, there is simply no ignoring the impact Coach Billy has made since joining the club from Canterbury Academy. Immediately setting a standard that he never wavered from, his teams reflected their new leader, delivering unprecedented success on all fronts.

After taking a year to lay solid foundations, the 2022/23 season saw him lead the newly launched Breakers Men’s team in Division 3, winning the NBL East League title and Playoff Final.

That saw the team earn promotion, while Billy was named Coach of the Year. The following season followed the same pattern as Breakers Men won Division 2 South, the Division 2 Playoff Final and the NBL National Cup.

Now testing himself and his team in Division 1 for the first time, Coach Billy led the Breakers Men to the KitKing Trophy Final and the Playoff Final after finishing the season in fourth place.

It has been a similar story on the Academy front as well. Going unbeaten in 2022/23, the MK5D team were national champions, getting back to the final the following season with Billy named Coach of the Year on both occasions.

A number of players from the Academy featured prominently for Breakers Men during that same period, then moving on to full scholarship places at colleges in the US to continue their basketball journey.

Thanks to Coach Billy’s tireless work, Shenley Brook End School now accepts basketball students from the wider Milton Keynes area, welcoming them to an Academy that provides wrap-around care from a full time coaching staff. With a complete pathway that includes a Division 1 Men’s team and guidance for their next steps, the program he has built is not only shaping careers, it is transforming the lives of the young men and women who pass through it.

Sitting courtside watching either the Breakers Men or the MK5D Academy, the sense of togetherness and community that has been forged under Coach Billy’s guidance is as undeniable as the trophies and accolades that have been lifted. His wife Vanisha and their young son – usually decked out in full Breakers gear – have been ever-present along the way, only adding to the feeling that the club is as united as any family could be.

Yet rather than bask in the reflected glory of those accomplishments, the man himself has constantly strived for more while never forgetting those who have helped him along the way. “To everyone who has offered me a chance, who shared wisdom, who shaped my journey, all I can say is thank you,” said Coach Billy in his farewell statement.

“To those who I’ve been lucky enough to coach or mentor, thank you. To the families, clubs, colleagues and supporters, thank you. I won’t be working in basketball next year. I need to give myself a little space and see where that takes me.

“I’ll always be grateful to this club for giving me my first chance to be a Head Coach and to build a program. So this is goodbye, but save me a seat on the bench.”

Thank you Coach Billy. Your legacy is cemented, and that seat will always be there.

The club are actively seeking a replacement Head Coach for the Men’s team, as well as a new Basketball Academy Manager with the 5D Trust.

The Chairman reflects on Billy’s tenure

Looking back on Billy’s time with MK Breakers, Founder and Chairman Peter Taylor said:

“Awesome! That’s the one word that sums up Billy’s time with both the MK Breakers and the MK5D Academy. Back-to-back NBL promotions, back-to-back NBL play off titles, a semi-final National Cup appearance followed by the first ever National Title in modern times won by a Division 2 club, a record unlikely to ever be repeated in my lifetime.

“And even in our first season in NBL D1, devastated by injuries and player comings and goings, we achieved a fourth place finish behind Hemel, Derby and Reading – three of British basketball’s powerhouses plus both another Play Off final as well as the KitKing final.

“In his four seasons since starting the MK5D Academy from scratch, his team reached the National semi-finals, National Champions, National Runner ups, and quarter finalists.

“While we wish Billy every success as he embarks on the next chapter of his life, we hope he will still find time to stay involved with the Club he has helped to shape and build. The second part of our Mission Statement is to make Milton Keynes a major basketball destination in the UK, and Billy has without doubt been a major factor in making that happen. 

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Founded in September 2017, the MK Breakers, formerly known as the Milton Keynes Basketball Foundation, have been dedicated to providing opportunities for boys and girls to play basketball at both community and elite levels. With a mission to make Milton Keynes a major basketball destination in the UK, the MK Breakers have grown from a small group of 40 players to a thriving community of over 1000 boys and girls across six local basketball centres.

Peter Taylor, Founder and Chairman of the MK Breakers Foundation, commented, ‘We are proud to announce that Brioche Pasquier have agreed to become our Community Partner for the next 2 seasons. It was clear from my first meeting with Ryan that Brioche share the same level of enthusiasm and commitment to the local youth of Milton Keynes and they have clearly demonstrated this by sponsoring our Community Basketball League, community kits, and allowing us to offer anyone who wants to join our basketball community a FREE taster session.

Brioche have also generously sponsored our Senior Men’s Player of the Game, and are the main sponsor of our Hoops For Health programme, which will see our Senior players and coaches visit up to 50 local primary schools to talk with boys and girls about the benefits of exercise and activity.

Brioche have quietly supported us for the past 12 months by purchasing T shirts for players and fans alike for our various League Play Off and Cup Final games, so we were delighted when Brioche said yes to becoming our first ever major sponsor from the MK business community’.

Brioche Pasquier, a French family bakery with history dating back to 1936, and established in Milton Keynes since 2014, has always prioritised community support. This partnership aligns perfectly with their values and commitment to the local community.

“We are proud to sponsor the MK Basketball Foundation and support their mission of making basketball accessible to as many people as possible, as well as to inspire and support young athletes, guiding them to unlock their full potential”

“At Brioche Pasquier, we believe in giving back to the communities where we operate, whether through supporting local businesses, hiring locally, or contributing to charities—because being connected to our community is at the heart of who we are. We also understand the positive impact of team sports in bringing people together.” Ryan Peters, Managing Director at Brioche Pasquier UK.

Together, Brioche Pasquier and the MK Breakers look forward to an exciting and successful partnership, bringing more opportunities and growth to the local basketball scene.

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Thanks to Sport England and the National Lottery throughout 2024 we have been able to extend our offer of Basketball For All  to an extra 90 girls across the City through specific girls only basketball sessions.

We now have over 200 registered female junior members, with the programme seeing huge success; The U16 Girls team won the 2024 National Championship, with the U14 Girls also finishing as runners-up and the U12 Girls finishing the season undefeated.

Locally, our U10 and and U12 Girls teams both became Champions of the Breakers CBL back in July, which is our own intraclub mixed league, supported by our partners at Brioche Pasquier. 

It’s no coincidence that the 2024/25 season has seen the launch of our first Senior Women’s team as they take their first steps in WNBL Division 2 currently sitting top of the league.

Head of Girls Basketball and Senior Women’s player Paige Vase added, “It’s exciting to witness, not only all the female talent coming from the club, but the ever growing passion for girls basketball in Milton Keynes. With the club offering a great pathway, there are multiple opportunities for girls of every age and ability to be involved. We are building something really special.”

From the bottom of the pyramid to the top our Women & Girls are leading the charge!

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Zoho Corporation, a global technology company, today announced it has invested in the Milton Keynes Breakers basketball team as part of a three-year sponsorship deal.

The sponsorship will provide new home and away kits for all of the Junior National League teams, as well as support off-court initiatives aimed at helping the local community develop key employability, life and digital skills.

MK Breakers is a community-driven basketball club based in Milton Keynes, offering opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels. Its mission is to empower young athletes through sport, helping them reach their full potential both on and off the court.

Phil Hannah, Director of Partnerships for the MK Breakers, commented: “MK Breakers is more than a basketball team, helping young people across Milton Keynes through education and community. We are so grateful to Zoho for their support, allowing us to expand our community initiatives to reach more people and give back to the local area.“

The sponsorship was unveiled against Team Newcastle University on Saturday, October 19, at Bletchley Leisure Centre.

Sachin Agrawal, Managing Director, Zoho UK, commented: “We are thrilled to support the MK Breakers and their incredible work providing development opportunities on and off the court. The team has a deep-rooted connection with the community from junior to senior team levels, going beyond basketball to inspire the next generation.

“Supporting development initiatives to equip people with life and digital skills is at the heart of Zoho, especially in the areas where we locate our offices. This activity with MK Breakers helps us to support in the Milton Keynes area, where we are continuing to grow our UK team.”

Zoho is committed to helping to close the digital skills gap, including that often seen between education and industry.

It offers its own initiatives, such as Zoho Schools, a meaningful alternative to conventional college education. Zoho also works with education establishments around the world to help students understand and experience real-world business application of their learning.

Such initiatives in Europe include:

● The Young Creator Programme which helps students learn how to code through low-code platform, Zoho Creator, and which recently completed a course with Nottingham Business School students at Nottingham University.

● Joining forces with Fontys School of Business and Communication in The Netherlands to run a course centred around Zoho CRM Plus, Zoho’s customer experience platform.

● Sponsorship of Teddington Hockey Club, incorporating provision of kit and support for educational guidance to teams around digital skills in future.

About Zoho

With 55+ apps in nearly every major business category, including sales, marketing, customer support, accounting and back office operations, and an array of productivity and collaboration tools, Zoho Corporation is one of the world’s most prolific technology companies.

Zoho is privately held and profitable with more than 15,000 employees. Zoho is headquartered in Chennai, India with European offices in The Netherlands, UK, Germany, France and Spain. Others include the United States, India, Japan, China, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Zoho respects user privacy and does not have an ad-revenue model in any part of its business, including its free products. Read more about Zoho’s privacy commitment here: https://www.zoho.com/privacy.html. Zoho operates its own datacenters across the world, including two in Europe.

Zoho UK recently achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification, a UK Government backed scheme that will help protect the company against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks.

More than 100 million users around the world, across hundreds of thousands of companies, rely on Zoho everyday to run their businesses, including Zoho itself. For more information, please visit www.zoho.com.

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The Trials will take place at Bletchley Leisure Centre on Saturday 14th September, and are open to Breakers club members who have registered for a community session for the 2024-25 season.

U10 / U12 Boys & Girls – 10:00-11:15am
U14 Boys – 11:15-12:30pm
U16 Boys – 12:30-13:45pm
*Info for U14 & U16 Girls will be released shortly.

You can book your place at one of the trials HERE.

Development Teams are for talented players who are selected from our community sessions for an additional weekly session with some of our most experience coaches.

The Development Teams sit one step below our Junior National League teams on the Clubs Talent Pathway.

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With the victory over hosts Turkey in the third place game, Great Britain earn promotion to Division A for the 2025 European Championships, the top 3 Division B teams achieving the feat.

Thompson, who led the MK Breakers U16 Girls to the clubs first ever Junior National Title this season, continued her fine form for Great Britain, leading the European Championships in scoring with an average of 22.6 points per game. She also ranked third in the tournament in efficiency (20EFFPG) and steals (4.4SPG)

Athena was recognised by FIBA for her play throughout the tournament and was named to the All-Star 5, highlighting the top 5 performers from the 20 teams at the tournament.

Great Britain finished the group stage with a 3-1 record, claiming victories over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland and Estonia, their only blemish coming to basketball powerhouse Lithuania. They went on to dominate Denmark 86-61 in the quarter-final before coming up just short to Czechia in the semi-finals, losing 61-65.

With hopes of a gold medal dashed, GB still had the chance at Bronze and promotion to Division A for 2025 if they could defeat hosts Turkey on the last day. Despite a raucous homes crowd, GB dominated from outset, winning the first quarter 26-3, eventually cruising to an 84-62 win, with Thompson again leading GB’s scoring with 24 points.

Well done and congratulations to Athena and all of the players and staff involved with the Great Britain U16 team on their outstanding achievement. 

Thompson will continue her basketball career at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut, USA next season.

Athena Thompson was named to the U16 European Championships All Star-5

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Robinson, who made a significant impact in his debut season, is set to bring his exceptional skills and leadership back to the team.

Robinson, who averaged 18.1 Points per Game, shooting 45% from 3 point range last season, began his professional career with the Manchester Giants in the British Basketball League, following in the footsteps of his father, Mark, who played for the team in the 1990s.

Nate Robinson has also been a standout on the international stage, representing Great Britain at the U18 and U20 levels. He played a pivotal role in achieving 7th and 8th place finishes at the European Championships, marking the highest-ever placements for Great Britain teams in those age groups.

Last season, Robinson was instrumental in helping the MK Breakers secure three trophies, including the National Cup and the NBL Division 2 Title. His return to the team is highly anticipated, as he aims to build on the success of the previous season.

Robinson expressed his excitement about re-signing with the Breakers, stating, “I’m very pleased to be signing back with MK. I’m grateful to be able to return and play for MK another year. I enjoyed the season last year a lot. Even though I was brought in halfway through the year, I enjoyed every bit of it

“Division 1 has a lot of talent this year and we need to be locked in every game. I believe we can continue to build off of our success from last year and have another great 2024-25 season.

“I can’t wait to get on the court and put on another great season for the community of MK! They have shown me nothing but love since day one!”

Head Coach Billy Beddow also shared his enthusiasm for Robinson’s return: “It’s great to have Nate back for a second season with the club.

“He had an instant impact when he joined us in December and he was a huge part of the team’s success last season. Nate is the ultimate professional.

“He showed his efficiency on the offensive end last season and proved to be an excellent defender, usually taking the responsibility to guard the opposition’s best perimeter player.”

The MK Breakers are looking forward to another promising season with Robinson’s leadership and talent on the court, as they strive for continued success in Division 1.

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With the huge success of the club’s junior girls program, and recent acceptance in to the WEABL (Women’s Elite Academy League), the women’s team will complete the pathway for female players in the city, providing opportunities for girls and women to play basketball from 4 years old all the way up to seniors.

Offering opportunities for female players has been a top priority for the club since its inception in 2017. Now with over 200 registered female junior members, the girls junior program has seen huge success in recent seasons. The U16 Girls team won the 2024 National Championship, with the U14 Girls also finishing as runners-up and the U12 Girls finishing the season undefeated.

More information about the team, including player and coach signings will be released shortly.

Trials will be held on Saturday 27th July at Shenley Brook End School. Anyone interested in playing for the team can register interest HERE.

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