Where Reservists Find Their Strength

From the battlefield to the soccer field, the Reservists’ Soccer League is giving Israel’s reserve soldiers a chance to breathe, to heal, and to find joy in the game they love.

Participation in the league is open to any IDF reservist aged 22 and up.

Maayan Padan, 28, from Beit Yitzhak, is a fitness coach who lives and breathes soccer. In his youth, he was a youth movement counselor and volunteered for a year of community service. He then enlisted in a special IDF unit, serving as a combat soldier, medic, and later as an officer at the IDF Officers’ School, completing four years of service to the country.

Omer Livnat, Noa Tishbi and Maayan Padan

On October 7th, he was called up again, and like many of his friends, found himself in a long and intense reserve duty. Out of these challenging experiences, the idea for the Reservists’ League was born, the first of its kind, uniting army units, creating a home for reservists, and offering a healthy way to reconnect through the game they all love most: soccer. It is a way to bring back their spark, both on and off the field.

On the field, reservists find a familiar rhythm that helps them return to everyday life.

Maayan’s personal vision found a natural home within Dror Israel, through its grassroots sports branch, HeChalutz. For years, HeChalutz has built community, equality, and resilience for youth across Israel through sports. Now, that same spirit is empowering Israel’s reservists, turning Maayan’s dream into a living league.

For many reservists, one of the hardest challenges is not combat itself, but returning home, integrating back into everyday civilian life after months of intense service. The soccer league bridges these two worlds, offering a supportive community, a way to release stress, and a healthy rhythm that helps reservists transition back to normal life.

Game on! The October–June league is coming, and players are rushing to sign up.

Since its launch in April 2025, the league has already held three tournaments with over 400 participants representing units from across the IDF. And beginning in October 2025, the initiative will expand into a full league: regular teams meeting weekly for practices and games, with close to 700 participants from around 35 units expected to take part.

Organizers have had to think of the unique needs of the players, including what happens if an entire team is suddenly called back into reserve duty. Instead of penalizing them, the league has designed a fair system to adjust team standings, ensuring no unit loses its place in the league because of its service. This creative solution keeps the competition fair while honoring the reality of life as a reservist.

Noa Tishby, Israeli actress and activist, joined one of the tournaments to show her support for the players.

Still, Maayan admits the greatest challenge is simply finding enough soccer fields in the evenings to meet the growing demand. Interest is soaring, because the league answers so many needs at once: fitness, community, solidarity, and the chance to feel whole again after months of intense service.

The league gives reservists a place to belong and a space to heal

Dror Israel and HeChalutz believe in the power of sports to heal and unite communities, and the Reservists’ Soccer League is the newest expression of that vision.

Read More about the Reservists’ Soccer League