A half season is a short, low-commitment version of all-star cheer: one practice a week for twelve weeks, ending with a single performance. A full season is the traditional all-star commitment: multiple practices a week for most of the year, a uniform, choreography, and a schedule of travel competitions. If your family is testing whether competitive cheer is a fit, or if your calendar cannot absorb a year-long commitment right now, the half season exists precisely for you. If your athlete already loves the sport and wants to compete and progress quickly, the full season is where that happens.
Both are real cheer. The difference is dosage, not seriousness.
What a half season actually involves
Our Fall Half Season is a twelve-week program for athletes ages 4 and up. Athletes practice once a week, learn a routine, and perform it once at the Wellington Allstars Showcase on November 14. The cost is $295, all inclusive, and the first practice was August 28 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.
The phrase "all inclusive" is the part parents ask about most, because full-season all-star cheer is famous for having line items stacked behind the tuition number. In a half season, the single price is the price.
There is no travel. There is no competition-season calendar to plan a year around. There is one performance, at our own gym's showcase, in front of the families of every other athlete in the program.
What a full season involves
A full all-star season runs the better part of a year. Athletes are placed on a team at evaluations, train multiple times a week, learn a competition routine choreographed to custom music, and compete at events across the season. Depending on the team, that can mean local competitions, regional travel, or a run at an end-of-season championship.
The commitment is genuinely larger in every dimension: time, cost, travel, and the expectation that an athlete is at practice consistently because a routine is built around their specific position on the floor. When one athlete is absent, a stunt group cannot run and a formation has a hole in it. That interdependence is what makes full-season teams powerful, and it is also what makes attendance non-negotiable.
Side by side
| Half Season | Full Season | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 12 weeks | Most of the year |
| Practices | One per week, one hour | Multiple per week, longer sessions |
| Performances | One, at the Wellington Allstars Showcase | A season of competitions |
| Travel | None | Varies by program, from local to out of state |
| Cost structure | $295 all inclusive | Tuition plus uniform, competition fees, choreography, music and travel |
| Best for | New athletes, busy family schedules, trying the sport | Athletes ready to compete and progress quickly |
| Ages | 4 and up | Placed by age and skill at evaluations |
Who the half season is genuinely built for
Four families come to mind every fall.
The family testing the water. Competitive cheer is a large commitment to make on a guess. Twelve weeks and one performance is enough for an athlete to find out whether they love the floor without anyone signing up for a year.
The multi-sport athlete. Plenty of kids play soccer, dance, or swim in the same months. A once-a-week practice slots into a busy season in a way a full-season schedule cannot.
The very young athlete. A four or five year old does not need a travel schedule. They need to learn to follow counts, work with a group, and stand in front of an audience without freezing. A half season delivers exactly that.
The athlete who joined too late for placements. Evaluations happen on a calendar. A half season gives an athlete somewhere productive to be in the meantime, so they arrive at the next round of evaluations with real experience.
Who should go straight to a full-season team
If your athlete has already done a season somewhere, already has tumbling skills, and asks to be at the gym more rather than less, a half season may under-serve them. Skill progression is a function of mat time, and one hour a week is a maintenance dose rather than a growth dose.
The same applies to athletes who specifically want to compete. Competition is the point of all-star cheer for many kids, and a single showcase performance will not scratch that itch. Our program ladder runs from non-competitive Novice through Prep, Limited Travel, and Full Travel, and our overview of programs and classes we offer compares them directly.
The hybrid most families miss
The half season and our weekly class schedule are designed to work together, and this is the single most useful thing in this article.
A half-season athlete practices once a week with their group. That hour is spent on the routine: counts, formations, motions, and the specific skills in that routine. It is not skill-development time. If your athlete wants to actually build tumbling or flying ability during those twelve weeks, add a weekly class.
A common and effective pairing is the half season plus one 30-minute class, or the half season plus Beginner Tumble. Athletes get the team experience and the skill work at the same time, and they arrive at their next evaluation meaningfully stronger than they started. Our Session 3 class schedule lists every day, time and coach.
What about the Hip Hop Team?
New this fall, our Hip Hop Team runs on the identical structure: twelve weeks, one hour a week on Fridays from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, $295 all inclusive, ages 4 and up, performing at the same November 14 showcase.
It is the right pick for an athlete who loves to perform but is not drawn to stunting and tumbling, and it is a genuinely good entry point for a sibling who comes to the gym anyway. Some athletes do both. Details for both programs are on our Fall Half Season and Hip Hop Team page.
Cost, honestly
The half season is $295 all inclusive. That is the number.
A full season is not a single number, and any gym that gives you one without a breakdown is doing you a disservice. Full-season budgeting includes tuition, uniform, practice wear, shoes, competition fees, choreography, music, and travel where applicable. The proportions vary by program and by how much a family travels. We walk through every category in our guide to what competitive cheerleading actually costs.
Weekly classes are priced separately from both. For the current six-week session, a 30-minute class is $75 and a 55-minute class is $95, with a 55-minute plus a 30-minute at $140 and two 30-minute classes at $120. Drop-ins are $15 and $20 with advance notice. Families not affiliated with a Wellington Allstars team also pay a one-time yearly registration fee of $50 for the first athlete and $25 per sibling.
What happens after the showcase
This is the question we get in week ten every year, and the answer is: whatever your athlete wants.
Some half-season athletes finish the showcase and are done, having gotten exactly what they came for. Many finish and immediately ask about a team, which is what evaluations are for. Because our try-outs are evaluations and placements rather than cuts, every athlete who evaluates gets a team; what evaluations determine is which one. A half season is genuinely good preparation, because the athlete arrives already knowing how to take a correction, hit a count, and perform under lights. Our try-outs and evaluation process page explains how placement day runs.
How to decide this week
- Ask how much time you actually have. Be honest about the fall calendar rather than optimistic. One hour a week is a promise you can keep.
- Ask what your athlete wants. "I want to perform" and "I want to compete" are different answers pointing at different programs.
- Ask whether skill growth is the goal. If yes, add a class regardless of which program you choose.
- Ask us. Our staff has watched a lot of athletes make this exact decision.
Parent FAQ
Does my athlete need experience for the half season?
No. Both fall programs are open to brand new athletes, and no prior tumbling or dance experience is required.
My athlete is only four. Is that really old enough?
Yes. Both the Half Season and the Hip Hop Team are open to ages 4 and up, and the format is built with young athletes in mind.
Is the half season competitive?
It is a performance program rather than a competition program. Athletes learn a routine and perform it once, at our showcase, with no travel and no judging panel.
The season already started. Is it too late to join?
Reach out and ask. The first practice was August 28 and the program runs twelve weeks, so availability depends on the group. We will tell you honestly whether joining now sets your athlete up to succeed.
Can my athlete do the half season and take classes?
Yes, and we recommend it if skill growth is a goal. The half season builds performance ability; classes build tumbling and flying skills.
Can one athlete do both the Half Season and Hip Hop?
Some do. They are separate programs with separate fees, and both perform at the November 14 showcase.
What does "all inclusive" cover?
The $295 covers the twelve-week program and the showcase performance. If you want the specifics for your athlete's situation, ask us directly rather than assuming.
Will a half season prepare my athlete for a full-season team?
It helps. An athlete who has learned counts, formations and performance discipline arrives at evaluations more prepared than one who has never been on a floor. Adding a weekly tumbling class alongside it helps more.
Keep reading
- Novice, Prep, or All Star? Choosing the right cheer program
- Limited Travel vs. Full Travel cheer: what families should consider
- How much competitive cheerleading actually costs
- Does my child need experience to join competitive cheer?
Ready to choose a program?
Wellington Allstars is a competitive all-star cheer gym at 17035 Persimmon Blvd West, Unit 800 in Westlake, Florida, serving Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, and The Acreage. Our programs run from non-competitive Novice through Prep, Limited Travel, and Full Travel All Star, and include a 2025 Summit Championship finalist team.
If you want the short version: try the half season if you are testing the water, and go full season if your athlete already knows they love it. Compare both on our fall programs page, or contact our program director and we will help you decide.