After two grueling years of war, the Reservists League – Toto kicked off on Friday, taking IDF reservists off the battlefield and onto the soccer field.
A joint initiative of the Israeli Football Association (IFA) and Toto, which sponsors the main Israeli soccer cup, Reservists League – Toto, is the first of its kind in Israel, dedicated to active-duty reservists.
Since April, organizers have held three tournaments with 400 participants, but a full league only launched in October. Starting last week, weekly practices and games are scheduled across the country, giving reservists a structured opportunity for friendly competition.
The league, consisting of 32 teams and about 1,000 reservists, will play almost 800 20-minute games during the season.
'Bringing joy back into lives'
Still, the focus of the league isn’t just the sports aspect. Maayan Padan, the founder and a reservist himself, described his creation as “[not] just a game; it’s our way of remembering who we are, keeping the spirit alive, and bringing joy back into our lives.”
Yariv Taper, the CEO of the Israel Football Association, expressed his gratitude to the reservists, calling the initiative a “privilege of giving back to those who have given so much for us.”
Ran Ben Shimon, head coach of the Israel National Team, called the league both an “honor” and a “duty”, a small but meaningful way to recognize the immense sacrifices made by reservists over the past two difficult years.
The IDF has always relied on reservists in times of war, and in the last two years of war with Hamas, hundreds of thousands were called up, reporting to bases all over the country at a moment's notice.
A backdrop of immense sacrifice
While the league offers joy on the field, it comes against the backdrop of immense sacrifice. As reservists were called to fight, often for long periods of time, the war took a massive toll on the parents, workers, and community members who make up the reserve forces.
So far, over 1,000 soldiers, many of them reservists, have been killed since Hamas launched its massacres in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Many times that number have been wounded. Mental health issues among reservists also spiked in the past year, with requests among reservists for trauma treatment spiking 1,000%, according to IDF Lt.-Col. Uzi Bechor.
Notably, several off-duty reservists have committed suicide recently, leading to increased nationwide discussions on how to help the men and women who come back from the front in coping with their trauma and stress.
As the war with Hamas appears to be in a final ceasefire, with the Palestinian terrorist group agreeing to the release of all hostages, the focus once again returns to healing, with soldiers who have been affected at the forefront of the efforts to return Israel to normal.
As the season goes on, the Reservists League – Toto gives hundreds of soldiers a chance to reclaim normalcy, turning months of sacrifice and selflessness into shared happiness.
"This league is much more than soccer - it is proof of the unbreakable Israeli spirit," director and founder Omer Livnat said. "Through sport, we connect military units, people, and hearts - reminding ourselves that what holds us together as a society is connection, camaraderie, and love for the game."