[Nemo]

FIRST should create an actual middle school program.

It's super awkward to use FTC as a middle school program, because then you have 12 year olds competing with 18 year olds. Making FTC middle school across the board is a bad option because that would remove access to FIRST at thousands of high schools.

As for FiM, they're at least trying to adjust the middle school issue in a way that they have available. I think their solutions is among the best options available to them. It helps that MI has funding for FRC registration fees, so the access issue is not as bad as in most places.

Leaving middle school kids hanging like this is a big mistake. While FIRST drops off the earth in middle school, athletics and fine arts are continuing right along, and kids get established in those activities instead. FIRST programs are competing with those activities for peoples' energy.