Ok Genia, I'm disagreeing, don't worry, I still like ya.
As much as I loved the team we had this year, I would most certainly suggest that you have them try a year without competing before starting a team. They need finances as Genia said. As a veteran team, I'm sure that you can give them an estimate of about how much they will need money wise. (Hint: while it's possible to run a team on $7,000, it's reeeeeeeally tough) Also, they will need to have mentors who know what they're doing. Once again, you know what kind of technical knowledge (programming, electrical, efficient design techniques etc) these mentors will need to have.
My suggestion? Have the team mock a FIRST year in their first year, attending the kickoff with your team, and have them design and make a robot. Have them try to do it in 6 weeks, but if they can't, they can't. Next, have them come to one of your competitions to watch and see what to expect. Have them take turns coming down to the pits to observe your pit crew and have them practice things like scouting and especially cheering! Once they've done all this, have them try out an offseason event. #1, they're a heck of a lot cheaper than real ones. #2, they tend to be a bit more laid back so that the team can ease into the process.
If they try things this way, they shouldn't be overwhelmed, plus they'll have a robot to show off when they first start out. As I'm sure you know, it helps to have an extra robot hanging around for things like driver tryouts or presentations.
Just for the record, this is my personal opinion and the way that I would have done things if I had the opportunity to do it all over again. Whatever way they decide to do things, I assure you they'll have fun, especially with another team standing right over their shoulder to help out if things get tough!
