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I used to be an FLL coach ~10 years ago when my son was into it. (I coached elementary/middle school teams for 5 years.) I'm a mechanical engineer with experience in process and factory automation. I don't care to start a debate here; I'll offer my experience/viewpoint for your consideration.
FLL is not just about building and solving problems with LEGO (the LEGO portion makes up ~25% of the program). The writing/presenting you refer to (along with the research portion of the event) is, to me, a realistic depiction of the entire process involved in engineering problem-solving. This is not a new aspect to FLL.
Building/programming with LEGO, just like real-life hardware/software, is in the "solution" phase. Evaluation of the problem, learning about the ramifications of technology usage, and figuring out how to apply "appropriate technology" in a responsible manner is all part of the game (both in FLL and real life). FLL is also a stepping-stone into the First Robotics League (no more LEGO - you get real hardware). Most teens I have worked with describe First Robotics as "the hardest fun they've ever had".
The "fun" aspect with the program is difficult to maintain (everybody wants to build) across all the phases of the program, but it can be done with some clever coaching. I have found the trick to be to get through lots of team-building early on to develop trust among all the youth and then encourage them to each volunteer for leadership of a certain aspect of the project.
Teamwork is a bigger problem than you might think (since coaches are bound by a non-interference agreement to ensure the project is implemented completely with youth ideas). My old standing joke at the beginning of the season used to be "I know all of you can individually build and program a robot to complete the mission. All of you working together - I'm not so sure..."
There's lots to learn with FLL (much more than just building automation and making it do what you program it to). I hope your son enjoys the experience.
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