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If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That formula led to Mike Kraus‘ current position as director of one the oldest MLS residency academy programs. At the end of his stint with the Sporting Kansas City, the former Creighton University captain moved to Arizona in 2010 with his wife, who had finished medical School and matched with Phoenix’s Mayo Clinic. Upon their arrival, Kraus discovered that the nearby city of Casa Grande was home to Real Salt Lake-Arizona. He sent his resume to Martin Vazquez, RSL’s then-academy director, every month for over a year. In the meantime, he coached Phoenix-area boys and girls teams.

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