He's one kid who really knows all the scores

When Evan Roberts talks, his principal and fellow students listen.

A sixth-grader at Lawrence Middle School, Evan, 11, announces the highlights of the school's sports programs weekly over the public address system. The idea of Melvin I. Sacks, the dean of students, the program first resounded throughout the halls and classrooms about five weeks ago. Each program, whether aired Monday or Friday, lasts a couple of minutes.

"It's done over the telephone in the main office, which keys into our public address system," Principal Edward Sallie said. "Evan sits in the office of Assistant Principal Harriet Copel and recaps the sports at the middle school during the home room period at 8:40 a.m."

Currently, the sports are football, soccer and boys volleyball.

Basketball and girls volleyball games will be the topics later this fall and winter. As for his own sporting ability, Evan says unabashedly, "I stink at all sports."

The decision to have a sports program over the public address system came about when a representative from television's "A Current Affair" asked to interview Evan during a school day about his sports-annoucing work. 

The youngster, a sports lover at an early age, was 9 when chosen as one of 10 child announcers for "Dyna-Mets," a half-hour SportsChannel show for youngsters, about the Mets.

Though no longer with SportsChannel, he still can be heard on the airwaves off school grounds. "I'm doing a radio show once a month over WGBB, Babylon," Evan said. "It's called `Kids Sports Talk' and it's for kids to voice their opinion." The show is usually on the air on a Friday from 6 to 7 p.m., though the exact Friday of the month may vary, he said.

According to Sallie, Evan, the son of Janice and Joel Roberts of Woodmere, is "a regular run-of-the-mill kid and gets along well with his peers. He's well-respected by his teachers and is a strong, solid student academically."

The principal believes that many youngsters Evan's age have special talents that should be encouraged.

"Evan is a perfect example," Sallie said. "While otherwise low-key, once announcing, he's very animated and straightforward, and his diction is perfect."

Earlier this month, Evan not only talked about his sports announcing on "A Current Affair" and the "Regis & Kathy Lee" television shows, but also was heard on David Brenner's radio show. "It gave me the opportunity to give my opinion about the [baseball and hockey] strike and lockout and what most basketball teams are doing," he said.

As for the future, Evan has no doubts. "I definitely want to be a sportscaster when I grow up."