Newsday sports editor Hank Winnicki recognized with the Distinguished Media Award in flag football
Hank Winnicki, assistant managing editor of sports for Newsday, addresses the crowd at the National Football Foundation's annual girls flag football scholar-athlete awards brunch in Melville on Sunday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Newsday sports editor Hank Winnicki was recognized with the Distinguished Media Award in flag football by the National Football Foundation.
Starting in 2027, the Long Island High School Flag Football Player of the Year Award will be named after Winnicki.
Winnicki was honored at the National Football Foundation’s Suffolk County chapter Flag Football Scholar-Athlete and All-County Awards Brunch at the Melville Marriott on Sunday.
“I’ve always seen my role as putting other people in a position to succeed,” Winnicki said. “I’ve always been more of a backstage kind of leader. But this award is a tremendous honor, and I’m humbled by it.”
Suffolk County Chapter President Leonard Genova presented Winnicki with the award.
“In speaking with Hank, the fact that he’s been such a central proponent of girls athletics here on Long Island is the reason he warrants being honored,” Genova said. “He’s behind the scenes, but his presence is just so impactful. The coverage from Newsday and what he and the staff do is unbelievable.”
Genova hopes the Winnicki Award will have the same impact as Newsday’s Thorp and Hansen awards, which are presented annually to the top high school football players in Nassau and Suffolk.
“When I was a kid, all everyone heard about was the Hansen and the Thorp,” Genova said. “They are such big awards. Hopefully, over time, the Winnicki Award becomes the same thing.”
Winnicki was named Newsday’s sports editor in 2006. Under his leadership, Newsday has elevated its coverage of Long Island high school sports significantly. When flag football arrived in 2022, Newsday began covering the sport extensively.
“No one has been a greater advocate of girls sports,” said Gregg Sarra, Newsday’s high school sports editor. “Under Hank’s leadership, we have expanded our coverage of Long Island high school sports with an emphasis on girls sports across all of our platforms.
“When girls flag football was in its infancy stages, Newsday was on board, watching it grow from the very start. Hank was behind that. He was all in. Now look where we are — the fastest-growing sport in the country.”
The sport began on Long Island with 16 teams and has grown rapidly. 66 Long Island teams participated during the 2026 season.
“The growth of flag football has been a great story, and I’m proud of the way Newsday has covered that,” Winnicki said. “If we’ve helped the growth and popularity of that sport, I’m very proud of that.”
