BY SAPNA PATHAK

Dana White could be mistaken for a typical “Lord of the Rings” fan.

For White, an evening watching the well-known trilogy means more than simply enjoying the films. It’s about analyzing what he called “the artistic portrayal” of a lesser-known sport.

“They’ve (the movies) really made archery popular with a whole new generation,” said White with a laugh. “It’s not a sport you hear or see much about, but it’s being done worldwide. “Lord of the Rings,” well, it made archery the cool, new thing kids wanted to learn. So, yeah, I’m a big fan, but not for the reasons everyone would think.”

A level-3 certified archery instructor for Concord’s Parks and Recreation department, White has spent the better part of the last four decades cultivating a passion for an activity he tried at age 15. Seven years later, White competed in his first archery tournament, at the Pioneer Sportsman Club in Dunbarton, before deciding to take his first instructor’s course.

“It’s like, ‘You know who Dana White is, right?’ when you’re talking about archery in New Hampshire ,” said Jack O’ Neal, an archery instructor at the Pioneer. “He’s done a lot for the sport in the state. He works with kids who are handicapped, those who are not and adults. It started off as a hobby, but it was his genuine interest that made archery grow so much.”

White joined the YMCA of Concord in 1972, volunteering until 1987 when he moved to the parks and recreation department. In the winter of 2006, he earned a certification to teach in schools; White now mentors at a private school in Hopkinton.

White’s four-week summer programs, Art of Archery, draw Neighborhood archers ranging from 4 years old to college graduates. Mixed and children-only tournaments cap off each session, but White said it’s the evolution of his archers he most enjoys observing.

“I’ve worked with a lot of kids with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) or other ailments,” said White. “And it’s really something to see them focusing their attention to one thing. It’s about learning self-confidence, self-discipline and self-motivation. That’s what I want them to learn first and foremost.

“If you can compete with yourself and not look at what others around you are doing, then you’ll be able to get better and see what happens,” he continued. “For no apparent reason, I bought a bow when I was 15 … I had no idea where that would take me.”