It is mentioned as one possible reason for adopting a policy for which the teacher suggests an additional reason. It is cited as an insufficient reason for eliminating funding for children's athletic programs. It is cited as an objection that has been raised to the position that the teacher is supporting. It is a hypothesis for which the teacher offers additional evidence.
Teacher: Participating in organized competitive athletics may increase a child' s strength and coordination. As critics point out, however, it also instills in those children who are not already well developed in these respects a feeling of inferiority that never really disappears. Yet, since research has shown that adults with feelings of inferiority become more successful than those free of such anxieties, funding for children' s athletic programs should not be eliminated.
Which one of the following most accurately describes the role played in the teacher's argument by the assertion that participating in organized competitive athletics may increase a child's strength and coordination?