Teddy Atlas

Teddy Atlas grew up in Staten Island, the son of physician Dr. Theodore Atlas, the founder of two local hospitals, and widely known in the community for his charitable work.

He attended elementary school at PS 27, and later Curtis High School. His interest in boxing developed in his mid-teens. He began working out at the Police Athletic League where he was given the opportunity to fight in organized amateur matches.

With a troubled home life, Atlas started hanging out in the streets and getting into fights. He participated in an armed robbery, was arrested and spent some time in Rikers Island. Childhood friend Kevin Rooney, was training with the legendary Cus D’Amato in Catskill, and arranged for Atlas to come train with him while awaiting his trial. Atlas lived and trained with D’Amato for a year, and won the Golden Gloves.

When his case came to trial, D’Amato spoke on his behalf, and Atlas was released into his custody. Not long after this, Atlas was diagnosed with an injury that ended his hopes for a boxing career. Though D’Amato encouraged him to stay and become a trainer, the disappointed Atlas left Catskill. Back in Staten Island he found himself drifting into old patterns.

A couple of neighborhood kids, knowing Atlas’ reputation for boxing, asked him to help them train. Under severely straitened circumstances, mostly working out in local parks using borrowed equipment, Atlas evolved regimens with rules, imposing discipline and structure to help them develop as amateur fighters. Though he began to see why D’Amato had urged him to become a trainer given his success with these kids, Atlas continued to have trouble handling his personal issues. One altercation left him with a knife wound to the face that required 400 stitches.

When one of the boys he had been training told Atlas that the local street toughs were planning to kill him and offered to go with him on a pre-emptive strike, Atlas experienced a seismic change in attitude. He refused to risk his friend’s safety; and protecting his friend gave him the strength to change the pattern of violence. He returned to Catskill, taking his two protégés with him, working with D’Amato as a trainer and running his gym. Atlas remained with D’Amato for six more years, parting company in the end over Mike Tyson.

Thus began Teddy Atlas’ career as a trainer. He has worked with some of the greatest fighters of our time including Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, who Atlas brought twice to the heavyweight championship of the world, Simon Brown, and others. As Atlas’ reputation grew, he caught the attention of dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp, and later, members of the American Ballet Theater, and dancers from Baryshnikov’s and Tharp’s production of Everlast, performed at the Metropolitan Opera House. He also trained with NY Ranger Steve Patrick, teaching him how to fight effectively on the ice. Atlas has worked as a fight choreographer and trainer in movies with Willem Defoe, and Antonio Banderas. He played a gangster in Gloria with Sharon Stone and himself in Play It to the Bone.

In 1998 Atlas embarked on a new career as a color commentator for ESPN Friday Night Fights, as well as the Tuesday Night Fights during the summer series. He also provided the commentary for the Olympics in both Sydney in 2000 and in Athens in 2004. In 2008 he will be covering the Olympics again for NBC in Beijing. He is the color analyst for the reality series ‘The Contender.”

In 1996, Teddy Atlas established the Dr. Theodore Atlas Foundation in Staten Island, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to awarding scholarships and individual grants based on scholastic merit, athletic achievement, or economic need. This year the foundation will give away half a million dollars in goods, cash, and medical grants. Atlas hopes also to create tutoring programs, mentoring programs to help kids get away from gang associations, as well as programs to help kids deal with violence in the home.

In 2005 the Dr.Theodore Atlas Foundation established a community food pantry. Further plans include group homes for troubled or abused children in Staten Island and other boroughs. There are no administrative costs associated with the foundation since all workers are volunteers. Whether a family has been burned out of their house, or requires special medical equipment, the cash, goods, or services are provided directly, without red tape. In 2000 Teddy Atlas was awarded the NFL Helping Hands award for his charity work.

With the assistance of Senator John McCain, Atlas has advocated for a National Boxing Commission to regulate the sport and root out corruption—including giving testimony in front of Congress. He continues to press for more oversight in his commentaries for ESPN, urging viewers to contact their local legislators. In addition, he has lobbied congressman and senators in Washington to support “PE for Life”, a bill to improve physical education in the school curriculum to help fight childhood obesity.

Atlas is a motivational speaker at universities, high schools, gang intervention programs organized by the NYPD, and in prisons. He has given one-day seminars at NYU, Fordham, Adelphi, St. John’s, and Wagner in sports psychology, and sports management. Teddy Atlas continues to live in Staten Island with his wife Elaine, and his two children.