Taos AD McCarty resigns; LaBella takes the reins
After a decade of unparalleled success at Taos, Nickie McCarty is calling it a career as the school’s athletic director.
Now, it will be Mae LaBella’s job to continue what McCarty started.
McCarty tendered her resignation in February as the Tigers’ athletic director, which is effective June 30, saying it was time for her to start a new chapter in her life.
Under McCarty’s guidance, Taos earned eight state team track and field championships, five crosscountry titles, four cheer crowns, its first football championship in 2018 and countless individual champions in golf, track, crosscountry and tennis.
McCarty, a Ratón graduate, spent 24 years at Taos after starting her educational career at Questa from 1994-96.
“I had been thinking about it for a while,” McCarty said. “I just got an itch to do something else. I don’t know what it might be. I just felt it was time to open up a new chapter. Besides, I think my husband is ready for me to be home at night and on the weekends.”
LaBella, a teacher at the school, will step into McCarty’s shoes July 1, and she admits that they are big ones to fill. LaBella has spent 18 of her 19 years in education at Taos, aside from a stint at Questa as principal and athletic director from 2017-18. She is a Taos graduate and both of her children attended the school. Her son, Anthony LaBella, competed in football, basketball and track from 2008-11.
“I feel blessed to be stepping in and helping move the program forward and keep it in the great shape that she has done,” LaBella said.
LaBella said her experience handling Questa’s athletic department helped her learn a little about how to run a program. She also knows how to deal with adversity, as she navigated false rumors that the school was going to cancel spring sports in 2018.
However, LaBella inherits a challenge at Taos that many athletic directors across the state are dealing with — the COVID-19 pandemic. It ended the high school season after the state basketball tournament in March, and it is unclear what the summer and the 2020-21 school year will look like.
LaBella said she is collaborating with McCarty to have a series of plans in place to have athletes and coaches ready.
“We are just getting prepared in case things do change,” LaBella said. “If we have everything scheduled and it doesn’t happen and we lose time, we’ll be prepared to take that and roll with it. We can make those adjustments based on what’s happening with our state and our economy.”
Some of those questions could be answered at the New Mexico Activities Association’s Board of Directors meeting Friday (May 15).
As for McCarty, she said she will still have a role in athletics. She remains part of the NMAA hardship committee and New Mexico Athletic Directors Association board.
“So, I will still have my foot in it,” McCarty said. “I’m not completely going away. I’m just not quite as in the thick of things as I was before.”