I, too, think there is a period to rest and re-group/re-focus after a competition, especially an intense one. Then the veteran team members lead by example, guiding the new members into the preparation for the next competition. It could be some team building exercises, making some signs together, strategy meetings, something that feels right for your team. The new members haven't been through the full process and don't know how to sustain the motivation without your guidance. Learning to work together as a team can be one of the hardest and at the same time, one of the most fulfilling aspects of FIRST. Next year these new team members will be helping to mentor and encourage just as you doing are now.
Edit: I thought about this a little more and wanted to add. Winning awards is something all teams dream of and work towards in competition. Success is not necessarily winning an award - it can be shipping a robot in a crate, submitting a care written Chairman's essay, understanding, respecting, and supporting each other when things are going really wrong, really fast. Success is a part of working towards the goal of achievement and awards. Our team alumni know that we are the team they helped foster and grow. When we gather together and cheer, the '04 alumni and the '07 seniors have the common bond of having built this team through hard times and through good times with the goal of doing the best we can with what we have, learning to enjoy the process and the competition together. This is a motivation we use when re-grouping and re-focusing during the lull. Just a thought.
