our team
Andre Schmid
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Andre brings more than 25 years of experience in sport as a player, coach, and executive leader. He is the Founder and Managing Director of S Group Sports, a private athlete consulting and performance support organization based in San Diego. Through S Group, Andre provides emerging elite and professional athletes with bespoke athlete care, development strategy, and performance support, delivering the structure and guidance required to excel, evolve, and sustain success on and off the field.
Prior to founding S Group in 2019, Andre’s experience has spanned both domestic and international environments, where he worked closely with athletes, coaches, and organizations across multiple levels of sport. His experience includes extensive collaboration with clients throughout the United States, as well as study and observation of professional club environments in England, Italy, Spain, and Argentina. These experiences shaped his holistic, systems-based approach to athlete development and ultimately led to the creation of S Group.
Andre’s foundation in sport began as a player. A California native, he was an Adidas High School All-American at Christian Brothers College Preparatory and a member of the first U.S. U-18 Youth National Team to win an international tournament, capturing the Torneio Internacional de Lisboa title in Portugal. He went on to attend St. John’s University on a full athletic scholarship, earning a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from the Collins College of Professional Studies in New York City. During his collegiate career, he was part of two NCAA Final Four teams. Professionally, he was drafted by the Houston Dynamo and spent time with the New York Red Bulls, Sporting KC, and Seattle Sounders FC, where he won a championship in 2007.
Andre has been based in San Diego for the past 15 years, where he established S Group’s headquarters in one of the country’s most dynamic and athlete rich sport environments. The region’s strong professional, collegiate, and elite youth sport landscape provides an ideal setting for collaboration and integrated athlete support.
Outside of his professional work, Andre enjoys spending time with his wife and their three children, especially when they can all be found together on the golf course.
Laura Sudano
Consultant
Laura Sudano is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in mental performance consulting for athletes and high-performing professionals. A former Division I and II collegiate volleyball athlete, she brings firsthand insight into the psychological demands of elite competition. She holds a BA in Psychology from St. Mary’s University (Texas), a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego, and a PhD in Human Development from Virginia Tech.
Laura’s work focuses on mental performance strategy, mindset development, emotional regulation, resilience, and performing under pressure. Her experience spans collegiate and professional sport, where she has consulted with professional athletes, teams, coaches, and performance staff across high-performance environments. She has worked within integrated sports medicine models, including serving as Director of Behavioral Science at Wake Forest Baptist Health, collaborating closely with sports medicine providers, athletic trainers, and coaching staffs.
She is currently faculty at UC San Diego in the Department of Family Medicine and leads consulting work that delivers tailored, confidential mental performance support to individuals, teams, and organizations seeking sustained excellence and long-term performance.
bobby Buoncristiano
Athlete Performance Director
Bobby, a native of Philadelphia, has gained extensive experience in working and leading athletes across various levels and locations since his graduation from LaSalle University in 2004. His teaching journey has taken him to cities like New York City, San Diego, and St. Louis, where he has worked with athletes ranging from youth to professional.
Having excelled as a multisport athlete at Chestnut Hill Academy and played three Division-1 sports in college, Bobby's athletic prowess earned him an athletic scholarship for soccer. His versatility extended to kicking for the football team and competing in the 400m on the track team. Notable achievements during his soccer career at LaSalle include leading his team to a championship, receiving multiple all-league selections and being the top scorer throughout his career.
Academically, Bobby holds a degree in Communication from LaSalle University, a degree in Kinesiology from Mira Costa College, and is currently pursuing his Master’s in Performance Coaching at Setanta College. He also boasts various certifications, with the prestigious Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength & Conditioning Association being one of them.
With over two decades of experience working with athletes across different sports such as soccer, lacrosse, football, and more, Bobby has honed an intricate approach that continues to evolve. His role as Performance Director at national platform athletic clubs and accolades like being named "Best Fitness Instructor" by Philadelphia Magazine attest to his expertise. By training through the lens of movement, Bobby identifies key performance indicators that are specific to both the sport(s) and the individual, making his interventions specific and effective.
At S Group, Bobby's focuses on specifics to individualized training and teaching of our partnered athletes. This catered approach allows him to delve deep into each athlete's needs with meticulous attention. He strongly believes in unlocking an individual's limitless potential with the right support system behind them—a philosophy that aligns with S Group's foundational principles. Collaborating with colleagues at S Group to optimize each athlete’s performance is a passion that brings him immense fulfillment.
Outside his professional endeavors, Bobby shares an active lifestyle with his wife Dr. Natiya Guin (Naturopathic Medical Doctor) and their three children—Kailee, Grace & Trajan—and advocates for health and wellness both within their family and among the athletes he works with.
