Santa Clara sports groups and city discuss requiring SafeSport training, making it reimbursable under youth grants

City Parks and Recreation staff and local youth-sports organizers on Thursday discussed adding anti-bullying and SafeSport-related training to the list of expectations tied to the city's youth grants program and making training costs eligible for reimbursement.

A Parks and Recreation staff member who chaired the meeting said the discussion followed a recent death the group connected to cyberbullying and described a desire to "make sure that we're communicating values" and to ensure organizations had access to training that would help prevent and respond to such incidents. The staff member asked whether the group wanted the city to make training an "eligible reimbursement expense" under the grant program and whether the city should host or sponsor trainings so coaches would attend in person rather than relying solely on online courses.

Representatives of local organizations said many coaches already complete…