Best thing you've done so far is come on here and set a goal.
As Jane said, demo'ing a past robot is a great idea. Definitely contact 842 first of all, personal guidance is awesome from a team like theirs. Don't be afraid to look to your middle school for members either, they have more potential than high schoolers give them credit for.
Keep at it, if there's specific stuff you need, just post it up here.