[Al Skierkiewicz]

Anthony,
There is nothing worse than an idle mind or hands. Have you considered something more in line with you current situation like FTC or Vex? It will keep what team you have together, working in a smaller, student oriented event. You need to keep the team up front in your school's mind for travel, and room to work, advisors, etc. It will also give you a more formal meeting arena to keep discussing plans for next year.

Might I add, that I think you are ready to compete. You have had the experience of competing in the past which gives you a leg up on rookie teams just starting. You have built good robots in the past, don't lose the momentum. You are facing some challenging obstacles but the rewards are great.