Behind the Shield, a seven-part docuseries following the 2025 U.S. Men’s Lacrosse U20 team, won the 2026 Cynopsis Sports Award in the Best Sports Team/Event/Competition Documentary or Docuseries category.
There were more than 30 categories in this year’s Cynopsis Sports Awards, recognizing an exceptional group of organizations, teams and individuals driving innovation, creativity and impact across the sports industry.
Behind the Shield earned top honors in a highly competitive category that included ESPN with the ACC Network’s We’re #1! series; ESPN, NFL Films, Skydance Sports, Words + Pictures and 2PM Productions for The Kingdom; and Esports Foundation/This Machine for Esports World Cup: Level Up.
“To win this award against organizations like ESPN, NFL Films, Skydance Sports and the FIFA World Cup is both humbling and unexpected,” said Dave Krupinski, VP of Marketing, Media and Communications for USA Lacrosse. “For us, it’s validation that great storytelling isn’t defined by the size of a budget or platform. It’s driven by authentic access, talented people and a belief that the story matters.
“Behind the Shield was produced entirely in house by the USA Lacrosse team to bring fans closer to the athletes who represent our country. This recognition belongs to every member of that team. More than anything, we’re proud that lacrosse stories are being recognized on the same stage as some of the biggest names in sports media. It’s a sign of where the sport is headed, and we’re just getting started.”
This year’s finalists and winners included leading organizations such as ESPN, NBC, FOX Sports, Prime Video, NFL Media, Nielsen, Playfly Sports, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Barstool Sports, CBS Sports and YES Network, among others, reflecting a powerful cross-section of the modern sports ecosystem.
Behind the Shield is a groundbreaking documentary series from USA Lacrosse that captured the drama, pride, and evolution of the United States U20 national lacrosse team at the 2025 World Championship in Jeju, South Korea. Produced in-house and streamed on YouTube, the series represents an innovative leap for a grassroots sports organization and national governing body. With Behind the Shield, USA Lacrosse proved that compelling storytelling, authenticity, and strategic digital distribution can rival the impact of traditional, big-budget sports documentaries.
The award was presented at the 2026 Cynopsis Sports Awards Gala on June 4 in New York City, bringing together leaders from across the industry to celebrate the teams and organizations shaping the future of sports media and marketing.
A complete list of category winners is available here.
Producers and USA Lacrosse staff members Noah Beidleman, Dave Krupinski and Richie Garry receive the Cynopis Award in New York.
