University Student Prepares for Life Behind the Mike : Broadcasting: Isaac Lowenkron has made himself the Voice of the Trojans, and hopes one day to make a living announcing games.

Some people have a knack for turning hobbies into careers. Consider Isaac Lowenkron, aspiring sports broadcaster.

We found Lowenkron, a University High junior, at the University-Irvine football game this month. Or rather, Lowenkron found us.

Wearing a tie, dress shirt and slacks, Lowenkron greeted reporters at the Irvine stadium press box with two pages of typed game notes that would put many college sports information directors to shame.

This kid does his homework.

Lowenkron, 16, calls his operation the “Trojan Sports Network.” It is a father-and-son creation that is geared toward helping the son, Isaac, learn about sports broadcasting.

Lowenkron and his father, David, videotape University athletic events, with David serving as cameraman and Isaac the announcer. They offer to copy their videos free of charge for Trojan athletes and fans.

This is strictly an educational venture. And for Lowenkron, learning is fun.

“I’ve always been a fan of sports since I came out of the womb,” Isaac said.

Added David: “He announced his own birth.”

Lowenkron’s “career” began when his father was late picking him up from school one day. When David arrived, he found his son in the gym, watching a freshman basketball game and using his hand as a make-believe microphone to do a play-by-play.

“Maybe you should bring a recorder next time,” David said.

As a freshman, Lowenkron began bringing a tape recorder to University baseball games and recording his commentary. After each game, he would compile a statistics sheet and short game story.

Baseball Coach Chris Conlin discovered Lowenkron after overhearing his players discussing Lowenkron’s stat sheets. Conlin invited Lowenkron to announce the varsity baseball games the next season.

“When I first did it, it was kind of on a lark. Then I realized how much talent he had,” Conlin said.

Lowenkron began hanging a sign that read “TSN” on the dugout. After the Trojans won the Pacific Coast League title last season, the team presented Lowenkron with a T-shirt.

Conlin, also the defensive coordinator for the school’s football team, asked if Lowenkron would put together video packages for football this season.

“The varsity players think it is pretty neat because they are getting more recognition,” Conlin said. “The kids just really respect him because he is trying so hard.”

After baseball games, players often gathered around Lowenkron to hear the playback of their game. At a recent pep rally, Lowenkron kept the attention of 2,000 students while he interviewed representatives from each fall sport.

Lowenkron’s grandmother gave him a professional microphone headset for Christmas last year.

“They went all over the place looking for [the headset],” Lowenkron said. “My whole family has just been so supportive and incredible. It could be any other dream. I could want to be a bass fisherman and they would be right behind me.”

Being an only child has some advantages for Lowenkron.

“If I had a brother or sister, I would have to let them do half the game,” he said.

Lowenkron was one of the youngest participants this summer in the Sportscasters Camp of America at Long Beach State, where he recorded play-by-play for three Summer Professional Basketball League games and an Angels game. There, he gleaned some helpful advice.

“Just be yourself, don’t try to imitate Vin [Scully] and don’t try to imitate Chick [Hearn] because everyone imitates those people,” he said. “And do your homework. Prepare, prepare until you are sick of yourself.”

Lowenkron, an honor student, was elected boys’ athletics commissioner last spring. After University’s 14-7 upset of Irvine, Lowenkron played his call of the Trojans’ two touchdowns over the loudspeaker during school and got a raucous response.

“So many people came up to me and said such nice things about it. I hope it will convince people to come to our football games and our athletic events,” Lowenkron said.

If anyone can get a crowd interested, it’s Lowenkron. He is energetic and extroverted, often leaning out of the press box window to yell hellos.

He also is precise. During a phone interview, Lowenkron wanted to quote something by John Wooden. He put down the phone and went to find the exact quote. Returning, he read slowly: “The failure to prepare means preparing to fail.”

Lowenkron hopes that all this preparation will lead him to bigger places in sports broadcasting--his choice of a college is somewhat dependent on the quality of its athletic department because he hopes to announce its games.

“I’m very fortunate that I’ve discovered something that I enjoy so much . . . at an early age,” Lowenkron said. “I’d say, and this is advice for anything, if you want to do something with your life, pick something that you love, love doing more than anything else in the world. Because the people who succeed are the people who love what they’re doing.”

Move over Bob Costas.