Irvine, CA - May 8 - Veteran water polo coach and game tactician Christopher Lee has been appointed Director of National Team Program Operations for USA Water Polo, the USA's national governing body for the Olympic sport based in Irvine, California.

"Chris brings a wealth of tactical and operational experience to his new role," said Christopher Ramsey, USAWP's chief executive officer. "He understands what it takes to be successful on the pool deck, and what needs to happen behind the scenes to support athletes and teams. Chris loves the sport and is committed to supporting our national team programs and our broader goals of truly nationalizing our sport."

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania in computer science, Mr. Lee also holds a master's degree from Penn in Architecture. A collegiate water polo player, Mr. Lee has held head coaching positions at Penn (men's and women's water polo) and at Occidental College (men's and women's water polo). He has also served as an assistant coach at some of the nation's most prestigious programs, including UCLA (women's water polo), UC Berkeley (women's water polo), and most recently, Pomona & Pitzer Colleges (men's and women's water polo), and was also a head coach with Foothill Club Water Polo.

Mr. Lee has served in several part-time positions at USA Water Polo over the years, notably serving as videographer for the women's national team since 2011. He has also served as team leader for the women's national team, a coach for USA Water Polo's national cadet and development women's teams, as well as serving as a regional technical director for the federation's Olympic Development Program (ODP).

In his new full-time role, Mr. Lee will report to the CEO and work directly with head national team coaches Adam Krikorian and Dejan Udovicic. In addition to national team administration and operations, Mr. Lee will be the point person for relations with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, World Aquatics and PanAm Aquatics. He will oversee USA Water Polo programs and initiatives in professional development and education, collegiate programs, and national team athlete support. He will also serve as a liaison and support for the federation's ODP program, national pipeline teams, and the USA Water Polo Academy.

Chris Lee's direct reports will be Christopher Bates/Men's Sport Medicine Manager,  Larnie Boquiren/Women's Sport Medicine Manager, Ally Beck/Women's National Team Operations Manager and Paulina Bui/Men's National Team Operations Manager.

Chris Lee looks forward to joining USA Water Polo in this new role: "First I'd like to thank Chris Ramsey and everyone here at USA Water Polo for the opportunity to join a team that has worked tirelessly to support the USA water polo community and our incredible national teams. I've been fortunate enough to have worn many different hats at USA Water Polo over the years and I'm excited to put that experience to work to support the greater water polo community. The success of the national teams has been a huge source of pride for me over the years and I can't wait to get to work supporting all the national team athletes, coaches, and staff members as both teams prepare for a busy year leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games."