Basketball, Volleyball
Favorite athlete: Luka Doncic
Favorite team: Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: Beating Perkiomen Valley in the first round this year
Most embarrassing thing that has happened while competing in sports: When we lost to Plymouth Whitemarsh in a playoff game by 40.
Music on playlist: Rap and country
Future plans: Major in accounting at a 4-year college
Words to live by: “If you are afraid to fail, then you are probably going to fail.”
One goal before turning 30: Have a six-figure job and own a house
One thing people don't know about me: I am ambidextrous
By Craig Ostroff
Cadenn Amati is a self-professed “numbers guy.”
As a starting forward for the Neshaminy boys’ basketball team last season, Amati proved to be very proficient in putting up numbers.
When he was asked to take on a new role for the team this season, Amati knew full well that this role would have a negative impact on his scoring numbers.
Having graduated eight seniors from last year’s team, including first-team All-SOL Patriot Division center Max Currie, Neshaminy found itself in need of size under the boards this season. The 6-4 Amati was asked to take on a more defensive role, guarding other teams’ biggest players and battling in the paint for rebounds.
While he may be a numbers guy, Amati – a senior and a captain on this year’s team – also knew that the scorebook doesn’t tell the whole story.
So, he accepted his new role and threw himself into it.
“He was our small forward last year, but this year with our power forward and center having graduated, he went into a role as a center,” said Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle. “He’s an athletic kid, so he’s able to get out on the fast break more than a traditional center would. But we needed his size there.
“It was an adjustment for him at first, he was being asked to do a totally different thing, but that was what the team needed. He kept his head up, asked a lot of questions, and kept at it. He stepped into that role and understood that’s what he needed to do for our success.”
While it took some time to get acclimated to his new role, it was one that Amati embraced.
“It was a good challenge for me,” he said. “It was a big change from junior year. I was guarding much bigger players. Over the offseason, I was trying to put on a little more muscle so I would be more equipped to guard the bigger players.
“I don’t weigh as much as most of those centers, so it was a good challenge for me to guard them.”
And in sacrificing personal stats in order to fill a hole, Amati also provided a lesson to the younger players on the team.
“Everyone has to play their role to the best of their ability,” he said. “This took away some scoring for me, but we had guys step up on offense, so it’s not a problem for me. I hope the other guys saw that. Whatever your role is, make it your goal to be the best you can be at it.”
The results were undeniable. Despite the loss of players from the previous season, this year’s Neshaminy squad finished 6-4 (14-11 overall) and was in the mix for the Patriot Division title. They earned the 21st seed in the PIAA District One Tournament, where they upset #12 Perkiomen Valley in the first round.
“Having lost so many people from last year, I think we started out just kind of seeing how things progressed,” Amati said. “But as we got to the summer and fall, we were beating good teams, hanging in there with pretty much everyone we played, so we had high expectations coming into the season.
“There were games this year where we made mistakes and we wish things could have gone the other way, but overall, I’m really happy with the season. Beating Perkiomen Valley on the road in the first round of the playoffs was big.”
Amati played no small part in that success, both on the court and in the locker room.
“Getting named a captain this year was a big thing,” Tingle said. “Cadenn really took it to heart, led the way the best he could.
“Cadenn’s a great kid, and he’s a good player to hold the team together. He’s got that intensity, but he’s also got a good, positive attitude.”
Getting his chance to be a leader is something Amati has been looking forward to since his sophomore season when he swung between JV and varsity before securing a starting spot as a junior.
“I remember in my sophomore year, I’d look at the captains and think that that was something I can grow into,” he said. “I watched how they acted so I could mirror some of the things they did.
“It meant a lot to be named a captain. I’m really happy that my teammates thought highly enough of me that they thought I could be a leader on the team. I don’t think I really changed anything as a captain. I just act the way I always have, I try to be vocal and positive, and I just try to act the way I’ve been acting, and hopefully my teammates see that and they can follow.”
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With his senior basketball campaign now in the rear view, Amati is turning his attention to the quickly approaching volleyball season. Last year’s team finished 11-3 in the National Conference (18-5) overall and finished second in the PIAA District One Tournament.
Amati, who had played baseball in the spring during his freshman and sophomore years, decided to step off the pitching mound and onto the volleyball court as a junior. Despite never having played organized volleyball before, Amati quickly found his spot as a middle blocker.
“Growing up, I played primarily baseball,” he said. “I do miss it a little, a lot of my friends are baseball players.
“Max (Currie) was one of my closest friends and he played volleyball in the spring, and he talked to me about going out for it last year. It was a lot of fun. I didn’t know a lot of guys on the volleyball team, but having Max playing was a big reason why I gave it a shot. Just like in basketball, we had some seniors graduate, but I think we have high expectations coming into this season.”
Amati's decision to play volleyball is one that coach Pat Klingerman is glad he made.
"Cadenn didn’t even start playing volleyball until his junior year," the Neshaminy volleyball coach said. "To come out that late and pick up the game as quickly as he did says everything about his athleticism, work ethic, and coachability. He was willing to learn, ask questions, and put in the extra time.
"As a senior middle, he’s going to be a major part of our offense at the net. He’s developed great timing with our setter, he’s aggressive in transition, and he’s becoming someone we can rely on to score in big moments. Defensively, his blocking presence is huge for us. He’s physical, disciplined, and communicates well, which makes everyone around him better. He understands that being a middle isn’t just about getting blocks, it’s about setting the tone at the net and leading from the front. For someone who’s only been playing a short time, his growth has been remarkable. He’s turned himself into not just a key player for us, but a leader we trust on and off the court.”
Despite the quick transition from basketball to volleyball, Amati said he plans to be ready to go by the first serve of the season.
“I feel like volleyball is a sport you can pick up the basics and get going pretty quickly,” he said. “Last year, I picked it up quickly.
“There’s a little bit of a different mindset from basketball, it’s more about technique, but there are also a lot of similarities. In volleyball, I have to get off the ground quick to help blocking shots, and with me moving to center in basketball, volleyball helped me get off the ground more quickly.”
Coincidentally, “getting off the ground” is a key in one of Amati’s favorite classes. In a senior year loaded with honors-level classes, his favorite is Honors Robotics and Drone Technology.
“That’s a pretty fun class,” he said. “We learned how to code robots and fly drones. It’s a fun first period class. And I’m a math guy, so I like my calculus class. I’m taking all honors (classes) this year. It’s a lot of work, but I like it.
“I’ve always been very focused on my grades, and my parents are pretty strict about my grades because of sports. It’s important that I’m putting the proper time into my schoolwork and not just sports. So, I’m still working hard.”
Amati is still deciding where his next steps will take him. He knows he wants to pursue a degree in accounting and is looking to stay relatively close to home. He would prefer a small, rural school, but said he’s keeping his options open. Playing basketball or volleyball remains an option, and he has been in touch with coaches from several schools he’s visited.
But while he’s still unsure where he’ll spend his next four years, there’s no doubt what one fortunate school will get when Amati steps on campus.
“Wherever he may go, he’s a high-character kid,” Tingle said. “We’re going to miss his positive attitude and the way he can keep a group together and be a good leader. He’s the type of kid who gives you whatever he has. Wherever he goes, he’s going to be a huge addition and make a positive impact as a student.”
