Your anxiety, or tension can have different triggers, depending on your personal character, and can be different for each athlete.
Most worries can come from focusing too much on the result, and the consequences of failure. It could be fear of embarrassment or letting a parent down. Your result could be detrimental for qualifying to international event, or even college recruitment. Whatever it is, fear can be the wrong motivator.
Do you compare yourself to your opponent before tournaments? Do you feel you don’t “stack up” or deserve to win. Your confidence can quickly go away when you make comparisons to other athletes who you think are better than you. That distraction can hinge your performance.
The atmosphere is intimidating sometimes at the big regional or national tournament like SYC, NAC. Do you feel additional pressure attending such tournament that causes you stress?
This stress will not allow you to be fully prepared to compete.
Do you enter competition without a plan, or strategy. In team sports, most coaches give you the game plan. You need a strategy, that helps you compete to your strengths and your opponent’s weaknesses.
Self-confidence is paramount in youth sports. If you have a high level of belief in your ability, you will not become anxious. Do you leave your confidence to chance. If you only feel confident when you make a couple touches in the beginning of your bout, your confidence is prone to vary widely. You don’t want your confidence to be smashed immediately your opponent scores a touch.
Maintaining high performance expectations can actually limit your success. This puts extra pressure that can turn into pre competition anxiety. When you fail to achieve expectations, you often judge your ability, during or after a tournament.
Fencing from your brain's POINT of view 