Teale Matteson was born in Colorado, raised in Washington, then settled in Berkeley. He graduated with Honors in German from University of California, Berkeley in 1983. While at Cal he was a four-year student-athlete on the Varsity Men's Soccer Team, earning an NCAA Championship run in 1981. He somehow found time for two years' musicianship and harmony in the Music Department at Cal, with studies in guitar, tuba, and voice, and was also a member of the Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He coached as an assistant for the Men's Varsity Soccer Team.

While at Cal, Teale met and married Nanou, a graduate of Berkeley High and Cal, and a former French teacher at the Crowden School. They have two grown children, Natasha and Alexander, who attended summer programs at Crowden with founder Anne Crowden, and founding faculty Brigitte and Piero Mancini.

Teale holds soccer coaching licenses from CYSA, USSF, and NSCAA. He is a licensed soccer referee. Always hungry to learn more, he travels regularly to soccer countries with coaching delegations.

Teale likes to play soccer, too. He is a member several teams, mostly top-level, at the local, regional and national levels. Teale plays tennis and rides a bike to cross-train for his soccer.

Teale used to fly bush planes for a living. He holds a Commercial Pilot's License and Flight & Ground Instructor Licenses. His love of flight may have stemmed from his experience as a falconer, where he learned to appreciate wild animals and the delicate balance of people interacting with nature. He likes to teach his students how to spot birds, planes, and insects. He speaks French and German.

Teale plays guitar, strumming mostly tunes from the 60s and 70s—the era when he played in a popular dance band. He also writes songs and plays in several bands.

Teale has successfully infused his love of sport into many students. Some have gone on to run top-ten times in the country, to play competitive sports in high school and college, and to compete in the Olympic games. All of his students can hold their own in a pick-up game of soccer.