Identity Sports Executive Director Zach Vogel launches “True Identity,” a new 31-day devotional exploring what defines athletes beyond performance.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz

For athletes, identity can become tangled up in numbers: wins, stats, playing time, rankings and roster spots. Zach Vogel knows what happens when all of that disappears.

Vogel, executive director of Scottsdale-based nonprofit Identity Sports, is the author of “True Identity: An Athlete’s Guide to Finding Peace in All Circumstances,” a new 31-day Christian devotional that challenges athletes to separate who they are from how they perform.

The book brings together stories from professional and collegiate athletes across baseball, football, golf and more. Among those featured are PGA TOUR golfer and multiple major champion Scottie Scheffler, World Series champions Clayton Kershaw and Dansby Swanson, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little, seven-time LPGA Tour winner Angela Stanford, Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray and former NFL linebacker and two-time Pro Bowler Lorenzo Alexander.

They are just a few of the athletes and sports figures whose experiences appear throughout the 31-day devotional, which also includes stories from rising players, former professionals and competitors navigating the pressures and transitions that come with life in sports. Their experiences explore a question that reaches far beyond the scoreboard: What happens when the thing you do becomes the way you define yourself?

For Vogel, that question became personal when he was young. At 8 years old, he experienced a frightening medical event on the baseball field but was initially misdiagnosed and continued playing. Two years later, at age 10, he received the diagnosis that changed everything: He was told he could no longer play sports. Baseball was more than a game. It was the future he imagined for himself. In an instant, the identity he had built around being an athlete was shaken. The years that followed brought anxiety, depression and isolation, experiences that would eventually shape both his work with Identity Sports and the message behind “True Identity.”

“When baseball was taken away, it felt like my identity was taken away with it,” Vogel said. “I had built everything around what I did and who I thought I was going to become. When that disappeared, I didn’t know who I was anymore.”

A turning point came through Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Vogel began to see the verse differently. Rather than a promise that every goal would turn out as planned, it became a reminder that faith could provide strength when circumstances did not.

That idea sits at the heart of “True Identity”: A person’s worth cannot rest on something as temporary as a scoreboard, starting position, career or championship.

The devotional is organized around four themes:

• Foundation: Separating identity from performance before pressure and expectations take over.
• Pressure: Navigating perfectionism, comparison, competition and the need to prove yourself.
• Adversity: Finding perspective through slumps, injuries, being benched, closed doors and unexpected endings.
• Purpose: Looking beyond achievement to understand how faith, leadership and calling shape life during and after sports.

Each day pairs an athlete story with a biblical principle, reflection questions and prayer. The stories move through nearly every stage of an athletic career, from chasing success and dealing with expectations to navigating injuries, career changes and the moment competition ends altogether.

“Understanding our identity in Christ is freedom,” Vogel said. “It allows us to play like a kid again, enjoy the process and give everything we have without letting the scoreboard define us.”

The message is not limited to athletes. Vogel says the same struggle can surface anywhere people begin measuring themselves by achievement, career, status or outside approval.

“I pictured myself sitting down with that 10-year-old kid in the darkness and pain and being able to tell him that he wasn’t alone,” Vogel said. “Every athlete and every person goes through hard things. There is power in talking about it and understanding that it is OK to not be OK.”

For Identity Sports, “True Identity” is an extension of a broader mission to create conversations about faith, competition, adversity and purpose. The nonprofit reaches athletes and sports fans through live events, podcasts, digital content, devotionals and other faith-based resources.

Identity Sports also plans to launch Bible studies for different age groups and communities across the country, giving readers a way to continue exploring the themes of the book together.

For Vogel, the end goal is bigger than helping athletes handle their next win or loss. It is giving them a foundation that remains when the uniform eventually comes off.

“The game was never your identity. And it was never your final assignment,” Vogel said. “God’s plans for your life don’t expire when your circumstances change.”

“True Identity: An Athlete’s Guide to Finding Peace in All Circumstances” is available on Amazon. For more information about “True Identity,” upcoming Bible studies and Identity Sports, visit identitysports.com and identitysports.com/devotionals.

About Identity Sports

Identity Sports is a nonprofit Christian outreach ministry dedicated to helping athletes and sports fans find their true identity in Christ. Through live events, the Identity Sports Podcast, digital content, devotionals and faith-based resources, the organization provides athletes with a platform to share stories about competition, adversity, purpose and faith. Learn more at identitysports.com.

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Winchester, VA

Parthemos, Curran, Buelow and Polizzi, PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney C. Michelle Buelow has been named an Elite Lawyer for 2026 in the area of personal injury. This recognition highlights the firm’s commitment to providing exemplary service to injury victims who are navigating some of the most difficult periods of their lives.

Attorney Buelow is a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law and brings nearly 20 years of legal experience to her practice. Throughout her career, she has remained active in several legal associations, including the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Inn of Court, and local bar associations. This continued involvement allows her to stay informed on developments in personal injury and workers’ compensation law while building relationships with fellow attorneys who share her dedication to client advocacy.

Attorney Buelow represents clients in a wide range of personal injury and workers’ compensation matters, including car accidents, slip-and-fall injuries, workplace injuries, and on-the-job vehicle accidents. Her experience spans both sides of these overlapping practice areas, giving her a comprehensive understanding of how a single incident can affect a client’s health, income, and long-term stability.

The Elite Lawyer directory works to connect trustworthy attorneys with individuals in need of legal representation. Attorneys featured in the directory are selected based on their demonstrated competence within their practice area, as well as acknowledgment from their peers in the legal community.

About Parthemos, Curran, Buelow and Polizzi, PLLC

At Parthemos, Curran, Buelow and Polizzi, PLLC, we bring over 120 years of combined attorney experience to personal injury and workers’ compensation claims. From our offices in Winchester and Manassas, we serve clients throughout Virginia who are seeking guidance after an injury or workplace accident. To schedule a free consultation, visit https://www.pcbplaw.com/ or call 540-662-4222.

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Brian Wildman
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Curated wine-and-food pairings, keepsake glassware, and bulk ordering support Q4 client and employee appreciation.

WASHINGTON, D.C, USA

DC Wine & Spirits, a family-owned online wine and champagne gift retailer, has expanded its corporate gifting program ahead of the fourth-quarter client and employee appreciation season. The expanded program centers on four curated collections — wine and cheese, wine and chocolate, wine and glassware, and champagne flute sets — supported by bulk ordering, custom engraving, and multi-address shipping, custom engraving, and multi-address shipping to recipients across most U.S. states.

Corporate gifting budgets are typically committed between September and November, while delivery windows narrow sharply in December. By opening the program in August, the company is giving procurement, marketing, and human resources teams a longer runway to select assortments, approve personalization proofs, and confirm recipient lists before carrier volumes peak.

The wine and cheese gift baskets collection pairs varietals with artisanal cheeses and gourmet accompaniments, with assortments ranging from approximately $99 to $559. The wine and chocolate gift basket range pairs red, white, and sparkling wines with Godiva, Lindt, and Ghirardelli selections and ships in temperature-controlled insulated packaging to protect chocolate in transit.

Two glassware-led collections address the keepsake side of business gifting. Wine and glass sets combine bottles such as Caymus, Silver Oak, Cakebread Cellars, and Opus One with Tiffany and Riedel stemware, while champagne flute gift sets pair labels including La Marca Prosecco, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, and Dom Pérignon with lead-free crystal flutes. Because the glassware remains in use after the bottle is opened, the format is often positioned as a keepsake element of corporate gifting.

Personalization runs across all four collections. DC Wine & Spirits offers engraved bottles and glassware, hand-painted bottle artwork produced in-house, and company logos applied to custom bottles and branded flute sets. A single assortment can therefore be adapted for clients, board members, employees, and referral partners without changing the underlying pairing.

Orders for five or more recipients are handled through the company’s corporate gift basket service, which uses a downloadable bulk order form. One completed form can route individually addressed shipments to hundreds of recipients, each with its own gift message. Orders for fewer than five recipients can be placed directly through the online store.

Demand is not limited to the December holidays or to a single market. The company reports that pairing sets and glassware are also ordered for deal closings, client onboarding, vendor and referral thank-yous, work anniversaries, promotions, and retirement occasions that fall throughout the year and require smaller, faster shipments than a seasonal campaign. New York, California, Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. are among the most frequent recipient destinations.

“Corporate gifting fails most often on logistics, not on taste,” said Tom Gera, Head of Marketing at DC Wine & Spirits. “A company can choose an excellent bottle and still lose the moment because the package arrived a week late, or because nobody over 21 was at the desk to sign for it. This program is built around those failure points: earlier ordering windows, one form for hundreds of addresses, and a fulfillment process that treats alcohol delivery as the regulated shipment it actually is.”

Fulfillment reflects that regulatory reality. All alcohol shipments require an adult signature with valid identification at delivery. The company does not ship to PO Box or APO addresses, and availability is determined by the destination state. Standard orders process within two to five business days. Same-day shipping is available on orders placed before 2 p.m. EST on business days, and same-day courier delivery is offered in select cities.

The company advises corporate buyers to submit personalized and logo-engraved orders at least seven to ten business days ahead of the intended delivery date during peak season, as artwork approval and engraving add production time.
Assortments across the four collections range from approximately $99 to more than $1,200, covering employee recognition gifts, mid-tier client thank-you sets, and executive-level presentations. All collections are available now at dcwineandspirits.com.

About DC Wine & Spirits

DC Wine & Spirits is a family-owned, U.S.-based online retailer of wine, champagne, and gourmet gift baskets, operating from Washington, D.C., and Vienna, Virginia. The company hand-assembles gift baskets, gift boxes, and glassware sets, and offers engraving, hand-painted bottle artwork, and logo personalization for individual and corporate orders. Gifts are shipped to recipients across most U.S. states, with availability determined by destination. The company’s guiding principle is to bring people together and create memories that last a lifetime.

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