One of the greatest male water polo athletes to emerge from tradition-rich Orange County, Chris Oeding has defined excellence for nearly 40 years as both a player and a coach at the highest levels. The 1988 CIF Player of the Year from Corona del Mar High School in Southern California was also a three-time All-American who guided the Sea Kings to two CIF Championships. From there, it was off to Northern California where he added a new chapter to the University of California-Berkeley's storied history by helping the Golden Bears win three consecutive NCAA Championships and sharing Player of the Year honors in 1992.

Around the same time, Team USA selected him for the 1989 and 1991 junior national teams, the latter as a captain. Despite a shoulder injury that could have ended his career in 1993, Oeding played his first major tournament for the senior national team at the 1994 World Championships in Rome, Italy. That launched a seven-year run on the US men's national team where Oeding competed in two Olympic Games (1996 and 2000) and was captain of the 1997 team that won World Cup gold in Athens, Greece.

As his playing career neared its finish, Oeding began coaching: first at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, then 20 miles northwest at Long Beach City College where he has been a fixture since 2000, guiding its water polo programs to six state championships. In 2013, he joined the staff of the US women's national team as an assistant coach – a tenure that has spanned five World Championships and his third Olympics in Paris 2024.